The government, through the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK), has cautioned members of the public against registering for nursing courses at the African International Technical College.
In a statement on Friday, April 18, the Council flagged the institution, stating that the college was purporting to offer nursing courses without the requisite approval from the NCK.
According to the Council, the college violated the law under Section 21 of the Nurses and Midwives Act, which stipulates that any person conducting nursing training courses without Council approval is guilty of an offence.
The Act further states that those found guilty of contravening the law are liable to a fine not exceeding Ksh500,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or both.
“It has come to our attention that African International Technical College is advertising and purporting to offer nursing-related courses without the necessary approval,” read part of the statement by NCK.
In the notice, the Council also flagged three unapproved nursing courses reportedly being offered by some institutions. These included Nurse Aid, Nursing Assistant, and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).
Following the announcement, students and parents were urged to remain vigilant and verify the accreditation status of any institution before enrolling in any nursing or midwifery programme.
For a list of approved institutions and programmes, the Council advised Kenyans to visit its official website at nckenya.com/approved-training-institutions.
The latest development comes barely two days after the National Assembly Committee on Education raised concerns over the increase in the number of unaccredited universities and the deteriorating quality of higher education in Kenya.
The committee members expressed concern over submissions by the Commission for University Education (CUE), which revealed that at least 15 unaccredited institutions were operating in the country and awarding degrees illegally.
MPs went on to demand answers from CUE Chairman Chacha Nyaigotti and Commission Secretary Mike Kuria regarding the measures taken to curb the proliferation of rogue institutions and protect students from fraudulent degrees.
In his response, Kuria stated that the Commission had intensified crackdowns on illegal institutions in partnership with law enforcement agencies.
He further revealed that 15 unaccredited institutions had already been flagged, with two ongoing court cases involving individuals accused of issuing fake degrees.
