Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has officially suspended the CEO of the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK), Lister Onsongo, after uncovering serious violations involving the illegal placement of student nurses for internships.
In a statement released on Monday, July 21, 2025, CS Duale said that an investigation by the Ministry of Health (MoH) had found that 42 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) students were wrongfully assigned to internship positions before they had completed their academic training.
These students were submitted by a group of 10 public and private universities in direct violation of established regulations.
“The Ministry has uncovered a major breach involving the Nursing Council of Kenya and multiple universities, where 42 nursing students were illegally submitted for internship without completing their studies,” the statement read in part.
The ministry emphasized that this move goes against the requirements of the Nursing Council Act and the guidelines outlined under the Public Service Commission Act, both of which regulate how and when nursing students are eligible for internship placement.
As a result of the irregularities, Lister Onsongo has been suspended from her position while the Ministry conducts a full internal audit to get to the bottom of the issue. During the suspension, Ann Mukuna, who serves as the Director of Standards and Compliance at NCK, has been appointed to act as the interim CEO.
The Ministry of Health has also taken immediate corrective action. The internship letters issued to the 42 affected students have been revoked. Additionally, the students have been directed to immediately vacate their duty stations where they had already started internship work.
This move by CS Duale sends a strong signal about the importance of adhering to professional standards and proper procedures in Kenya’s healthcare training sector. The Ministry insists that no shortcuts will be tolerated when it comes to preparing future nurses for practice.
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