More than 400 nursing graduates have come out to protest being left out of the recently announced internship placements, saying the delay has brought their lives and careers to a standstill.

The graduates, some of whom completed their studies over five years ago, gathered to raise concerns over what they described as a lack of fairness and transparency in the internship allocation process.

They pointed fingers at the Ministry of Health and the Nursing Council of Kenya, accusing the bodies of corruption and favouritism.

“It’s so sad because most of our lives have been stagnant since 2023. Since we graduated, most of us cannot do anything. We cannot apply for jobs because we are not licensed,” said Nashipai Joyline Sulunye, one of the affected nursing pre-interns.

The group said they have met all the requirements needed to be posted, but their names were missing from the internship list released on June 30. Without the internship, they are unable to acquire the licensing needed to work.

Another pre-intern, Geoffrey Oteki, expressed frustration with the inconsistent posting process.

“You find the class of 2020 intake has been posted, yet we are left out. We want to know if there is discrimination. We have been camping here since last week, and some of us are from Kisii. We don’t know what’s going on. We are really suffering,” he said.

Many of the graduates said the delay had gone on for too long, affecting their ability to earn a living or support themselves. They also pointed out that guidelines require that postings be made within 90 days of graduation, something that has not been followed in their case.

“The list for internship was out last week on 30th June, and we happened to miss the list. We have been out of service for one and a half years. We have been left out of the internship, and we cannot do anything. You are supposed to be posted at least within 90 days,” said Titus Odhiambo.

The nursing internship is a critical step in the professional journey of graduates, offering practical experience and supervised training in approved healthcare centres. Its completion is necessary before they can be licensed to work.

Last month, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced that 6,484 interns had been selected for the 2025/2026 internship cycle, with their placement beginning on July 1. The programme is designed to run for 12 months in accredited public facilities across the country.

But the group of excluded graduates said the announcement has only deepened their concerns and they are now demanding answers and accountability from the authorities.