Africa-Press – Kenya. The government has suspended the Chief Executive Officer of the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) over an alleged breach of regulations involving the illegal placement of nursing students.
In a statement issued on Monday, July 21, the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Aden Duale, confirmed the suspension of Lister Onsongo after it was revealed that at least 42 Bachelor of Science (BSc) nursing students had been listed for internship unlawfully.
“The Ministry of Health (MoH) has uncovered a serious breach of regulations involving the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) and Ten Public and Private Universities, which unlawfully submitted 42 Bachelor of Science (BSc) Nursing students for internship before the completion of their academic programmes,” the statement read in part.
According to the Ministry of Health (MoH), the actions were in violation of the provisions of the Nursing Council Act and the guidelines set out by the Public Service Commission Act.
Due to these irregularities, Onsongo has been suspended pending the outcome of an internal audit by the Ministry.
The Ministry has also revoked the internship letters issued to the 42 affected students who came from 10 private and public universities.
Consequently, the 42 students have been urged to vacate their duty stations with immediate effect.
Following Onsongo’s suspension, Duale appointed Director of Standards and Compliance at the NCK Ann Mukuna to take over as CEO on an interim basis.
On June 30, Duale flagged off the deployment of 6,484 healthcare interns across the country, marking the commencement of the 2025/2026 internship cycle. This included 2,098 BSc Nursing Officer interns with the CS reiterating the government’s commitment to strengthening the country’s healthcare workforce.
However, the nursing interns are now walking a tight rope just weeks later, as the government revealed plans to conduct a full audit of the entire 2025/2026 internship cohort.
“The Ministry is committed to upholding the integrity of healthcare training and deployment. All individuals found culpable-whether at the Ministry of Health, the NCK, or within the leadership of the implicated universities-will be held fully accountable,” the statement went on.
The Ministry had initially raised alarm over irregularities in the deployment of the interns on July 10, when Duale revealed 19 names of students who had not completed their studies, yet they somehow landed posting letters.
At the time, Duale revealed an audit would be conducted, warning that any persons or institutions found liable for including the said names on the list would face the necessary consequences.
Internships in the medical field is one of the more lucrative ones in the country, with intern doctors getting a basic salary of Ksh46,120. Once the allowances under CSG 9 / Job Group L are factored, the total monthly pay can climb to Ksh 208,000, depending on where an intern is posted.
For More News And Analysis About Kenya Follow Africa-Press
