Majority of Kenyan medics fail a British english Test- Kagwe

Nurses at KU Hospital during a Zumba class [Photo: Capital FM]

Ministry of Health Cabinet Secretary CS Mutahi Kagwe has decried the failure of health workers to pass an English language test required for United Kingdom jobs. 

Addressing the press on Wednesday, Kagwe said that only 10 out of the 300 medics selected for the UK jobs passed the required English test.

Kagwe then challenged the health workers to work hard to pass other employment standards set for jobs.

We had negotiated for clinical workers for job exports but this turn of events is unfortunate,” said Kagwe.

This is after Kenya entered into an agreement with the UK to allow unemployed Kenyan healthcare workers to work in the European country in . 

In July, Britain agreed to hire 20,000 Kenyan nurses, on a three-year contract, with a salary of Sh450,000 monthly.

CS Kagwe now says many of these nurses might miss the lucrative offer for their failure to pass the basic proficiency tests.

He however says the government will continue to negotiate with other nations to get more jobs, adding that talks with some governments in the Middle East and Europe for the export of clinical officers are ongoing.

Kagwe also refuted claims that the government has resorted to exporting its labour workforce abroad instead of employing them.

“This is a rumour. Geographical boundaries will not stop us from working. Countries we are exporting health workers to are not doing us a favour. We are helping them when they are in need.”

Kagwe was speaking during the Kenya Clinical Officers Association scientific conference in Mombasa County.

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