Lister Onsongo: CS Aden Duale Suspends Nursing Council CEO, Cancels Internship Placements
- Ministry of Health suspended top Nursing Council CEO Lister Onsongo over a major breach involving unauthorised internships
- Dozens of nursing students were placed in hospitals before completing their degrees, raising alarm over training integrity
- A full audit of over 2,000 interns is now underway as government pledges accountability across all involved institutions
TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has suspended Lister Onsongo, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK).
Source: Twitter
The decision came following a serious breach of regulatory procedures that has shaken the country’s nursing training system.
The scandal revolves around the unlawful placement of 42 Bachelor of Science in Nursing students into internship roles before they had completed their university coursework.
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These premature deployments, coordinated across ten public and private universities, violated both the Nursing Council Act and the internship placement guidelines laid out by the Public Service Commission (PSC).
How did the nursing internship breach occur?
Following the discovery, the Ministry of Health revoked all internship appointment letters issued to the affected students.
They were instructed to immediately vacate their duty stations as investigations got underway.
The universities involved reportedly bypassed required clearances, allowing unqualified students to work in hospitals, potentially endangering patients and undermining the profession.
Onsongo’s suspension will remain in effect while the Ministry conducts a full internal audit of the current internship programme.
The review will cover all 2,098 BSc Nursing interns nationwide, ensuring that no other students were prematurely placed. The Ministry is also expected to liaise with the Commission for University Education (CUE) and the affected universities to assess institutional accountability.
Source: UGC
Duale appoints Ann Mukuna acting Nursing Council CEO
In a statement issued on Monday, July 21, Duale appointed Ann Mukuna, the Ministry’s director of standards and compliance, to take over operations at the Nursing Council in an acting capacity.
He affirmed that the Ministry is fully committed to upholding the integrity of healthcare training and vowed to hold accountable all individuals and institutions involved, whether within the ministry, the council, or university leadership.
Duale described the violation as a grave threat to both the credibility of nursing education and the safety of patients, stating that the matter is being treated with the highest urgency.
He also promised that the Ministry will take swift and transparent corrective measures to restore public trust, reinforce regulatory compliance, and protect the rights of both nursing students and the public.
KMPDU wants intern doctors recalled from Kiambu
In a related development, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists' Union (KMPDU) asked the Ministry of Health to withdraw all intern doctors stationed in Kiambu county.
The request came amid an ongoing doctors’ strike in the region, which has persisted since May and continues to paralyse healthcare services.
KMPDU warned that the strike has disrupted both patient care and the quality of internship training, leaving medical interns without the essential supervision and mentorship required for their professional development.
The union expressed concern that the current environment exposes both interns and patients to unnecessary risks.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
