The Kenyan government has denied reports circulating in media that the United Kingdom Health Department has dropped the recruitment process for Kenyan nurses.
Media outlets in the country, including Nation Media, had reported early Friday that the UK had dropped the exercise due to existing workforce shortages.
The Ministry of Health in a statement has denied the report, reiterating that the recruitment exercise has been strengthened between the two countries in total compliance with the World Health Organisation (WHO) code of international recruitment procedures.
“We wish to confirm that contrary to information circulating to the effect that Kenyan Nurses are no longer able to access the UK market, the recruitment mechanism will continue and has been strengthened in accordance with WHO Code of practice for international recruitment of health and social care personnel in the United Kingdom,” said Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe.
WHO’s required processes are to ensure the two countries set common ground to manage future recruitments to avoid unauthorized workforce overseas.
Kenya and U.K signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in July 2021 for Kenya’s health workforce recruited to UK hospitals.
President Uhuru Kenyatta witnessed the signing of the Kenya-UK Health Alliance at the Royal College of Physics.
“Under the agreement, Kenyan health workers will be absorbed into the National Health Service (NHS), the publicly funded British healthcare system,” said Kagwe.
As a government, we are working hard to increase our home-grown supply of health and social care staff through enhanced training to ensure that we remain a regional force in healthcare.
They will also be expected to help meet the high demand for trained medical staff in the UK.
The deal is also expected to boost research and collaboration between the UK and Kenyan universities and teaching hospitals.
As of now, there are about 300,000 jobless nurses in the country.
