Graduands during the Nairobi West Hospital College of Health Science graduation on November 14,2025./HANDOUTGraduands during the Nairobi West Hospital College of Health Science graduation on November 14,2025./HANDOUT
The graduation ceremony held last Friday at the Nairobi West Hospital College of Health Sciences offered more than the celebration of academic achievement.
With more than 600 students completing their studies, the event unfolded against a backdrop of national reflection on the state of nursing education, its rapid expansion, its pressures, and its growing importance in a health system still shaped by lessons from COVID-19.
Kenya now has over 140 accredited nursing and midwifery training institutions regulated by the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK).
These include public institutions such as Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), which offers programmes in critical care, peri-operative and paediatric nursing across its nationwide campuses, as well as faith-based colleges such as AIC Kijabe College of Health Sciences, Cecily McDonell College of Health Sciences, and Great Lakes University of Kisumu, among others.
Rose Akoth Ouna, the top national performer in the Higher Diploma in Critical Care Nursing and a full scholarship recipient of the college./HANDOUT
This network of institutions forms the foundation of Kenya’s nursing workforce, but it also makes regulation essential for maintaining quality and consistency.
Speaking at the ceremony, Doreen Chumba from the Nursing Council of Kenya emphasised this role.
The council, she noted, is not simply an approver of institutions but the steward of training standards.
“We regulate not just how many institutions there are, but how well they teach and how relevant their programmes are to Kenya’s health needs,”she said.
Chumba added that The Nairobi West Hospital College of Health Sciences is among the fastest-growing institutions under the council and has produced top performers in specialised programmes such as Higher Diploma in Critical Care Nursing.
Her remarks were echoed by Dr. Kibet Shikuku, Chairperson of the college, who placed the conversation squarely in the context of a changing healthcare landscape.
“More nurses are graduating at a time when our health system expects more of them than ever before,” he told the audience.
“It is not enough to fill positions, we must offer care that is safe, compassionate and technically sound.”
The pandemic years exposed gaps that had long been ignored: shortages of critical care staff, the emotional and psychological weight borne by frontline health workers, and the need for nurses trained in emergency response, complex monitoring and rapid decision-making.
These realities have reshaped expectations around training, prompting learners to pursue advanced and specialised qualifications at unprecedented rates, particularly in critical care, emergency nursing and other high-acuity areas.
The college’s new Deputy Principal, Sara Kamamo, reflected this shift in her remarks.
“COVID-19 reminded us that health systems rely most on people who can adapt, think clearly under pressure and respond to emergencies we never imagined,” she said.
“Training must keep pace with that reality.”
Her comments pointed to a broader national discussion about how colleges; large and small, public and private; must continue aligning their curricula with contemporary demands.
Perhaps the most vivid illustration of the stakes involved came through the story of Rose Akoth Ouna, the top national performer in the Higher Diploma in Critical Care Nursing and a full scholarship recipient of the college.
Rose introduced herself modestly, but her journey spoke powerfully to the challenges many nurses face.
She pursued critical care out of passion and professional ambition, recognising it as a field that allowed her to grow her competence in managing the most vulnerable patients.
Yet her academic path was far from smooth.
“I experienced financial constraints; I needed fees for tuition and personal expenses,” she shared.
The strain of balancing work, school and family added emotional and mental pressure.
“There was stress, mental breakdown at times, and anxiety. Most of the content was new, both in class and in clinical rotations, and it often felt impossible.”
Her honesty drew nods from graduates who had walked similar tightropes.
Despite the challenges, Rose excelled. She credited determination, support systems and a scholarship from the college for enabling her to complete the programme.
Looking ahead, she expressed optimism: “The future still holds much for me as a healthcare professional. This achievement is only a stepping stone. I hope to advance further academically and in practice.”
Her story mirrored the central message woven throughout the ceremony: nursing in Kenya is changing, and so is the training that supports it.
The country needs not only more nurses, but better-prepared ones—professionals equipped for a world where pandemics, chronic disease burdens and technological advances are part of everyday practice.
As the ceremony ended, the applause for the graduates had a layered meaning. It honoured their success, but also acknowledged the weight of what awaits them.
They step into a sector that needs their skills urgently, a public that relies on their competence, and a regulatory environment striving to ensure that nursing education—whether at KMTC, Kijabe,
The Nairobi West Hospital College or any other institution—remains strong enough to support the nation’s health ambitions.
Their work begins now, in hospitals, clinics and communities across Kenya. And the questions raised on graduation day, about quality, readiness and regulation, will likely shape their careers long after the applause fades.