The Ministry of Health has cancelled internship placements for 348 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) students after it was found they had not officially graduated and were therefore ineligible for the program.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, in a statement on Monday, said the decision was made following thorough review and in accordance with existing government policies.

These include the Public Service Commission Internship Policy and Guidelines for the Public Service (2016) and the Ministry of Health’s Internship Policy for Healthcare Professionals (2020).

“Internship placement is only available to individuals who have completed their studies, officially graduated, and obtained clearance from their regulatory body,”  Duale said.

He emphasised that the ministry remains committed to a fair and transparent placement process, where only qualified individuals who meet the criteria are considered for available opportunities.

He said priority would continue to be given to graduates who had completed their studies and secured regulatory clearance.

The Public Service Commission currently allocates 2,000 internship slots annually to BScN graduates, with the postings guided by budget considerations, planning frameworks, and coordination among relevant agencies.

“The Ministry of Health remains committed to providing opportunities for healthcare professionals to gain practical experience and develop their skills through our internship program,” Duale added.

This latest revocation comes just days after the ministry withdrew internship placements for another 306 BScN pre-interns who were similarly found to be unqualified.

That decision followed a review of the 2025/2026 cohort of 2,098 pre-interns listed on July 1, 2025.

The ministry also confirmed that 42 offers had earlier been revoked on July 21, bringing the total number of cancelled internships to 696 so far.

Among the most affected institutions are Baraton University with 92 revoked placements, Pwani University with 48, and Kirinyaga University with 46. Other universities where offers were withdrawn include Kenyatta University (22), Daystar University (7), Methodist University (3), and UMMA University (2).

“The posting offers for 306 BSc nurses have been revoked, in addition to the 42 previously revoked on July 21, 2025,” said Duale in a separate statement on Wednesday.

At the same time, the Ministry announced that an additional 316 eligible BSc Nursing pre-interns had been mistakenly left out of the original posting list. These candidates had met all the necessary requirements and were cleared for internship placement.