The Kenyan Ministry of Health has publicly accused ten universities of submitting false student data to secure government‑sponsored medical internships. The move has sparked a major shake‑up in how interns are posted to hospitals.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale revealed in a statement that universities offered medicine degrees submitted unverified information to secure placement slots for their students. The ministry called the practice unlawful.
The accused institutions
The universities named include: Kenyatta University, Daystar, Kenya Methodist, Masai Mara, University of Embu, Mount Kenya, Umma, Baraton, Karatina, and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.
The scale of the problem
An internal audit uncovered that 42 students who had not completed their training were improperly listed for internships. At the same time, 339 eligible interns were left out. Even some foreign students, ineligible for government internships, were included.
The ministry’s response
To restore order and trust, the ministry plans:
- A central Internship Coordination Unit to oversee placements
- A digital platform to manage and verify application data
- Clear national guidelines on internship eligibility, submission timing and roles under the Health Act section 17(j)
- Only students placed via KUCCPS will qualify for government‑funded internships; self‑sponsored students must fund their own training.
CS Duale stated: “These reforms are about safeguarding the future of healthcare in Kenya. We are building a system that ensures fairness, accountability and quality in health professional training.”
Accountability measures
The ministry has withdrawn the 42 irregular internship placements and formally notified the affected hospitals of the revocation. Those found responsible, including institutions and officials at the Nursing Council, face disciplinary action.
Broader implications
Experts warn this incident highlights systemic weaknesses in verification and oversight. It follows a parallel scandal in nursing internships, where 19 unqualified candidates were flagged, prompting a full audit of the list earlier in July.
The Nursing Council of Kenya was criticized for failing to verify submissions before forwarding them to the ministry.
Why it matters
Internships are the final professional step for health graduates to become licensed medical officers or nurses. Irregular recruitment undermines fairness and may affect patient safety. It also raises questions over public trust in health training institutions.
Voices from the field
Interns across Kenya have reported long delays in postings and occasional pay freezes, tied partly to financial constraint and administrative bottlenecks. One medic in an online forum said:
Though these comments refer to general intern conditions, they underscore the pressure on a system already struggling with staffing and resources.
What’s next
The ministry is seeking KSh 408 million from the National Treasury to fund placements for 339 verified nursing interns. This funding aims to support a transparent and properly regulated internship cohort.
As reforms roll out, questions remain over university compliance and whether decentralized oversight can be strengthened. Stakeholders call for regular audits and rotation of interns between hospitals with varying capacities to ensure meaningful supervision and training.
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