Intern posting starts July 1 as Health Ministry confirms balloting date
Interns are expected to access their individual results immediately after the online process ends.
Medical interns will finally know where they will be posted following months of uncertainty, after the Ministry of Health confirmed that the balloting exercise will take place on April 30, 2025.
The online exercise, as announced on Tuesday will pave the way for the interns’ posting to hospitals and healthcare centres beginning July 1, 2025.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) will oversee the balloting, which will generate the official placement list to guide the Ministry in allocating interns to accredited facilities across the country.
Interns are expected to access their individual results immediately after the online process ends.
According to the Ministry, it will receive the full balloting outcome by Friday, May 2, 2025, and use it to complete the posting arrangements without further delays.
The move comes after a recent meeting between Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and leaders of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), led by Secretary-General Dr Davji Atellah.
The meeting resulted in the agreement to start the long-awaited balloting and proceed with the posting.
"We want to commit to the leadership and the country that the balloting for internships has begun, and the posting will be done on July 1. We are also planning to expand the number of facilities that can accommodate interns, so none of them are left without," Duale said.
The Ministry said it is working with county governments and regulatory agencies to ensure that only properly accredited health institutions receive interns, to protect the quality of training and service delivery.
Even as the balloting process begins, the issue of intern salaries remains unresolved.
KMPDU has continued to push for the full implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which states that interns should receive Sh206,000 monthly.
The government had proposed Sh70,000, which drew criticism and protests from the union.
Duale acknowledged the salary demands and assured that the matter is receiving attention. "I got some insights from the leadership into the importance of the Sh206,000. I will consult with the National Treasury, the Cabinet, and even the President and revert in two to three weeks," he said.
Despite the salary dispute, the Ministry has confirmed that the balloting and posting will go ahead as planned. It also restated its commitment to improving the health sector.
"The Ministry remains committed to supporting the growth of health workers and strengthening healthcare service delivery across the country," the statement said.