Mount Kenya University was on Wednesday 29th January, 2025 re-accredited by the Nursing Council of Kenya to continue training nursing students.
The Institution has been offering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree for the last 12 years and has been subject to regular reviews by the nursing council to confirm that the university’s facilities, including laboratories, meet the set requirements.
The reviews undertaken every five years are a legal requirement for all institutions of higher learning training nursing students. The Registrar Nursing Council of Kenya Dr. Lister Onsongo presented the re-accreditation certificate to the MKU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Deogratious Jaganyi at a function on Wednesday.
The re-accreditation followed a review process, during which the Nursing Council of Kenya inspected the university and affiliated hospitals last year. “MKU was granted approval to train nursing students in 2012 and the first re-accreditation was conducted in 2017 and this is the second re-accreditation.
Since 2012, our nursing programme has produced over 1,400 qualified nurses who are making significant impact in healthcare both locally and internationally,” Prof. Jaganyi said.
He noted that the university had made heavy investments in health care training, including setting up two ultra-modern nursing skills laboratories that are available for use by nursing and other medical students. MKU has also endeavoured to secure opportunities for healthcare graduates locally and abroad through partnerships with German and Austrian institutions to provide graduates with jobs in healthcare industries in the two European markets.
Already, more than 80 MKU trained nursing graduates have started work in the two countries with the first cohort of 40 leaving the country in April last year while another cohort left in September.
Among the institutions that MKU has partnered with include Hochschule Koblenz University of Applied Sciences in Germany and Lebenshilfe Tirol of Austria, enabling young Kenyans trained in healthcare get paid apprenticeships and jobs in the two countries.
“This re-accreditation underscores our unwavering commitment to providing world-class nursing education that meets and exceeds regulatory standards,” Prof. Jaganyi said, adding that the university is looking forward to increasing the number of nursing students.
“With today’s award of the re-accreditation certificate, the university looks forward to being awarded an additional number of students by the Nursing Council of Kenya.” Dr. Onsongo said
Approving local institutions to train nursing students through the accreditations meant that Kenyan nursing graduates could work anywhere in the world. She noted that globally, nursing training is guided by the international Council of Nurses which is the umbrella body for all nurses. Nurses trained in accredited institutions meet the global standards.
“Nursing training in Kenya is anchored under the International Council of Nurses, where nurses trained and working in Kenya are eligible to practice nursing in any part of the world,” she said.
“After five years the council will inspect Mount Kenya University again for reaccreditation. The Nursing Council of Kenya recognises the efforts put by MKU to maintain high standards that has enabled this reaccreditation for another five years.” Dr. Onsongo.
