First Batch of Kenyan Nurses Part of New UK-Kenya Deal Expected to Arrive in the UK in 3 Months

First Batch of Kenyan Nurses Part of New UK-Kenya Deal Expected to Arrive in the UK in 3 Months

The first batch of Kenyan nurses is expected to arrive in the United Kingdom for work in three months, British High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Marriott has said.

Marriot, who spoke during a media briefing at her residence in Nairobi on Thursday, said the UK and Kenya are currently exploring ways of fast-tracking the process.

“The recruitment notice has gone out and the Ministry of Labor is dealing with that. We are going through the slow laborious bureaucratic process to work out the legal practicality on how to get the nurses over there and make sure they’re properly supported and integrated into the National Health Service (NHS),” Marriott said.

She added: “I hope to have the first nurses over there within the next two or three months.”

Last week, the Ministry of Labor through the National Employment Authority (NEA) opened applications for nurses seeking to work in the UK.

This followed the signing of a bilateral agreement for collaboration in the healthcare workforce between Kenya and the UK, which allows Kenyan healthcare professionals to be recruited to work in the UK National Health Service (NHS).

Interested applicants have until 5:00 pm on August 27th to register through the NEA portal (https://neaims.go.ke/).

One must be a Kenyan citizen, have a diploma or bachelor’s degree in Nursing from a recognized institution, and be registered and licensed by the Nursing Council of Kenya to qualify for the program.

They are also required to have a valid Police Clearance Certificate (Certificate of Good Conduct) and not be in paid employment either in the public or private sector in Kenya.

Details of the recruitment and immigration process can be obtained from the Labor Ministry’s website at: https://labour.go.ke or that of the NEA at: https://nea.go.ke/web/.

Nurses are the first cadre of healthcare workers targeted for recruitment under the agreement signed during President Kenyatta’s visit to the UK last month.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Health Workforce Collaboration, which provides a framework for capacity building and exchange of healthcare workers between Kenya and the UK, was signed by Kenya’s Labor Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui and the UK’s Secretary of State for Health Sajid Javid.