NAIROBI, June 26, 2026 — The government will deploy 6,360 healthcare interns across the country from July 1 after committing Sh 9.3 billion towards internship training, in a move aimed at strengthening Kenya’s health workforce and accelerating the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced the plans after chairing a high-level meeting with health professional regulatory bodies at the Ministry of Health headquarters to assess preparedness for the 2026/2027 internship deployment.

The meeting brought together regulators to validate internship readiness, address emerging placement challenges and ensure the deployment process remains transparent, accountable and efficient.

Duale commended the regulatory bodies for completing the verification of eligible graduates and submitting internship lists within the agreed timelines, saying the process had laid a credible foundation for the nationwide deployment.

“This financial year, the Government has committed KSh 9.3 billion towards internship training and will deploy 6,360 healthcare interns across various cadres, underscoring our commitment to strengthening the health workforce and advancing Universal Health Coverage through Taifa Care,” he said.

The interns are expected to reinforce staffing in health facilities across the country while gaining supervised clinical experience required for professional registration.

Beyond the internship rollout, the meeting reviewed ongoing reforms intended to align health professions education with Kenya’s evolving healthcare needs.

Among the reforms discussed were the introduction of student indexing, improved health workforce planning, better management of internship capacity and the harmonisation of scopes of practice across different health professions.

The ministry said the reforms are designed to ensure the country trains the right number of health professionals with the skills required to meet growing healthcare demands while supporting the successful implementation of Taifa Care.

The meeting was attended by Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni, Nursing Council of Kenya Board Chair Dr. Dabar Abdi, Nursing Council CEO Dr. Lista Onsongo, the Ministry’s Head of Nursing and Midwifery Services Dr. Judith Awinja, Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council CEO Dr. David Kariuki, Kenya Medical Training College representative Dr. Kelly Oluoch, Clinical Officers Council representative Ibrahim Wako, alongside other Ministry of Health officials.