By Perez Karisa, July 3, 2026
The deployment of 6,360 healthcare interns for the 2026/2027 internship cycle marks a major milestone in Kenya’s health sector, reflecting a growing commitment to predictable workforce planning and long-term industrial stability. Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga said the smooth placement process demonstrates the government’s resolve to eliminate the delays and uncertainty that have historically disrupted the country’s healthcare system.
Speaking during the rollout of the internship programme, Oluga noted that making intern deployment a routine administrative exercise rather than a source of recurring disputes is central to ongoing reforms within the Ministry of Health. He said predictable placements strengthen service delivery while restoring confidence among young healthcare professionals entering the workforce.
The latest deployment represents a significant departure from previous years, when delayed posting letters, inadequate budget allocations, and prolonged negotiations frequently triggered nationwide strikes by healthcare workers. Such disputes often disrupted services in public hospitals and delayed the transition of newly qualified graduates into professional practice.
Oluga, who previously served as Secretary General of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), said the ministry has deliberately synchronized budgeting and administrative planning to ensure internship placements are conducted on schedule. Under the new system, successful candidates are able to collect their posting letters directly from Afya House without prolonged delays or industrial unrest.
The Principal Secretary emphasized that healthcare interns are not merely trainees but an essential component of Kenya’s public health workforce. He noted that interns undertake an estimated 27 per cent of clinical duties performed in public hospitals, supporting patient care across various departments while gaining supervised practical experience.
He further explained that the internship programme serves a dual purpose. It remains a mandatory 12-month Focused Professional Practice Evaluation required before independent professional registration, while also constituting paid frontline service that deserves timely remuneration and structured deployment.
According to the Ministry of Health, ensuring seamless internship placements contributes directly to improving staffing levels in health facilities, reducing pressure on existing personnel, and enhancing the quality and continuity of patient care across the country.
Oluga said the internship reforms form part of the government’s broader health sector transformation under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). The strategy seeks to build a stronger and more resilient healthcare system through coordinated investments in workforce development, financing, medicine availability, and digital health services.
Among the wider reforms currently being implemented is the transition to the Social Health Authority (SHA), aimed at expanding access to affordable healthcare while strengthening financial sustainability within the sector.
The government is also working to increase local pharmaceutical manufacturing through the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), with the objective of producing up to 65 per cent of the country’s essential medicines domestically. Officials say the initiative will reduce dependence on imports
