Nurses yesterday told Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe to apologise over his remarks that some of them failed to pass the English language tests required for United Kingdom jobs.
The health workers claimed that the move by Kagwe has exposed them to public ridicule and could affect their confidence.
In a statement titled “Nurses did not fail the English test,” the Nursing Council of Kenya, however, said they are working on modalities to prepare nurses and midwives that wish to sit the tests to improve success rate.
“Following the call for applications, the National Employment Authority received and submitted 3,329 applications from interested persons to the Nursing Council of Kenya for verification and shortlisting of candidates,” it read.
“Based on the evaluation criteria, 2,685 candidates were shortlisted and required to submit additional requirements.
“The council received a total of 2,050 responses and it was established those who met the criteria, did and passed the International English Language Testing System and Computer Based Tests were 14, and only nine had valid certificates of both tests”.
The test were offered to the Jobless Kenyan nurses and other health workers as part of their condition for them to work in the UK as part of a new scheme requested by Kenya this year.
