Nursing colleges are expanding across the country, particularly in urban areas, offering hope to a population in need of quality healthcare.
Private health institutions, such as Nairobi Hospital, MP Shah, and Nairobi Women’s Hospital, are increasing their intake capacities and producing more nurse graduates who are ready to provide services, reducing the shortage in the health sector.
However, behind these numbers lies a stark reality. The country is still struggling to meet global benchmarks for health workforce density.
“Kenya continues to face a shortage of nurses and midwives. Key factors identified as causing the shortage of nurses and midwives include brain drain, a poor working environment, natural attrition, a rapidly growing population, an ageing population, and emerging diseases,” said the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) in their latest policy brief.
While Kenya’s nurse-to-patient ratio has increased from 8.3 to 22.7 per 10,000 people, the 2025 World Nursing Report shows that this is still below the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations, an indication that, although more nurses are entering the system, the scale of production is not yet sufficient to meet the country’s healthcare needs.
The WHO recommends a minimum of 25 nurses per 10,000 people to ensure universal access to essential health services.
Data from the Economic Survey indicate that the number of graduate nurses has increased, from 4,808 in 2020 to 9,189 in 2024, a 91 percent rise over four years.
However, thousands of these professionals are leaving the country to seek better opportunities abroad, drawn by higher salaries, clearer career progression, and improved working conditions.
Even those who remain in Kenya often struggle to find employment in hospitals or clinics, leaving many qualified nurses unemployed.
Peterson Kirui, a Moi University Eldoret nursing graduate, has worked part-time for two years at a small dispensary in his home area. It was a tough struggle, but the pay was too low to provide even the bare minimum for survival, so he decided to take up research work instead.
“I have had to look for other sectors of the economy to put food on the table. I have had to go into research,” he said.
Mr Kirui’s situation mirrors that of thousands of nurses across the country who have qualified but cannot find employment, highlighting a growing disconnect between training and service delivery.
The cost of a three-year nursing diploma varies widely depending on the institution. At public colleges such as the Kenya Medical Training College, government-sponsored students pay about Sh240,000 for the entire course, while self-sponsored students pay around Sh359,700.
At private hospital-based colleges such as Nairobi Women’s Hospital, the cost is about Sh405,000 for three years, while at Nairobi Hospital Nursing College, it is around Sh603,000.
According to the NCK, around 10,000 students graduate with nursing qualifications each year, yet fewer than 3,000 find employment. The NCK also says more than 40 percent of registered nurses are either unemployed or underemployed, indicating an intensifying crisis.
“Almost 50 percent of the difficulties in filling vacant positions relate to budgetary constraints, followed by a lack of goodwill from county governments to fill the required positions,” said the NCK.
The implications are severe. Hospitals operate under chronic staff shortages, which is overwhelming for those on duty and means that patients have to wait for hours or go without essential care.
“The emigration of nurses and midwives, especially those in specialised categories, has a crucial bearing on the quality of care provided in health facilities. This is a critical concern for healthcare systems at all levels as it has an immediate and long-term effect,” said NCK.
A report by CGFNS International on nurse migration showed that, in 2024, Kenya accounted for 6.5 percent of all African applicants seeking US VisaScreen certification to work in the United States.
A 2023 report by the Ministry of Health revealed that up to 64.4 per cent of healthcare professionals had expressed a desire to emigrate.
While the government claims that this could increase remittances to the country, strengthen the foreign exchange rate, and boost the overall economy, some health officials have cautioned against the looming shortage of qualified medical personnel.
“Labour migration is a critical component of our socio-economic development, benefiting both Kenya and the countries that welcome our workers. This is why we continue to negotiate bilateral labour agreements to facilitate safe and orderly labour migration, protecting Kenyan workers’ rights and facilitating their access to international job markets,” said President Ruto during last year’s Labour Day celebrations.
Added NCK: “Emigration (92 percent) and increased patient volume (92 percent) are the main contributors to staff shortages, as is high staff turnover and retirement (88 percent).”
Recently, Kenya has seen hundreds of nurses move to the UK under bilateral agreements, while smaller numbers have sought jobs in Canada, Australia, and the Middle East.
In August 2023, 76 Kenyan nurses were sent to the UK to work under a bilateral health workforce agreement.
In April 2024, the government and Mount Kenya University sent the first group of five nurses to Germany as part of a plan to create 250,000 jobs for Kenyans.
However, rather than allowing Kenyans to seek jobs abroad, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has urged the government to improve pay and working conditions to discourage people from seeking employment elsewhere.
“To stop brain drain, the government must improve working conditions and provide incentives. In the medium term, the government should enhance the attractiveness of job opportunities by improving pay and benefits,” said the UN agency.
