The Ministry of Health has launched a series of strict reforms targeting irregularities in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) internship programme, following an internal audit that revealed widespread flaws in how interns were placed across the country.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, while addressing representatives from universities offering nursing courses on Tuesday, said the measures aim to restore transparency, accountability and order in the internship placement system.

He stressed that the changes are intended to align the programme with the country’s broader health workforce needs and correct the anomalies found in the 2025/2026 postings.

“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,” Duale said.

Among the key interventions is the introduction of a centralised digital platform that will manage the submission of internship applications.

This system will be designed to verify data more efficiently, streamline processing, and eliminate errors caused by manual handling.

The Health Director-General is expected to issue standardised national guidelines, anchored in Section 17(j) of the Health Act. These guidelines will lay out clear eligibility requirements, submission timelines, and roles for all parties involved in the placement process.

To enforce proper coordination, the ministry will establish a dedicated internship coordination unit. This office will work closely with training institutions to oversee internship placements and ensure compliance with set regulations.

A significant change in the eligibility criteria was also announced. Only students placed in universities through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) will qualify for government-sponsored internships. Self-sponsored students, on the other hand, will now be required to fund their own internships.

In an effort to curb over-admission, the ministry directed universities to stick strictly to student intake quotas approved by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Duale warned that over-enrolment negatively impacts workforce planning and weakens the overall quality of training offered.

On the issue of funding, the ministry is working with the National Treasury to secure Sh408 million. This amount is expected to support the placement of 339 additional nursing interns who were verified but excluded from the current list due to the Public Service Commission’s annual limit of 2,000 interns.

“These reforms are necessary to ensure that all qualified nursing interns are given fair opportunities without compromising the integrity of the process,” the CS noted.

The reforms come in response to an audit by the Ministry of Health that exposed serious failings in the internship posting system. According to the findings, 42 students who had not completed their training were mistakenly included in the list forwarded by the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK).

In addition, 339 eligible students were wrongly left out, while some foreign students, who do not qualify for state-sponsored internships—were improperly included.

Ten universities were cited for submitting student data that was either unverified or unauthorised. These are Kenyatta University, Daystar University, Kenya Methodist University, Masai Mara University, University of Embu, Mount Kenya University, Umma University, Baraton University, Karatina University and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.

The audit also criticised the Nursing Council of Kenya for failing in its regulatory role by not properly checking the submissions before passing them to the ministry.

In response to the audit, the ministry revoked the 42 irregular internship slots and notified the affected internship centres. Duale assured that institutions found to be in breach of the guidelines will be held to account.

He said the reforms signal a new chapter in how Kenya prepares its nursing workforce, adding that the ministry will prioritise professionalism, proper training and patient safety across all health facilities.