MKU sends 21 nursing apprentices to Germany

BY LAWRENCE ONGARO

Mount Kenya University (MKU) has sent off its sixth cohort of 21 nursing apprentices who will travel to Germany on September 18, 2026, to begin their apprenticeship programme under a partnership with Hochschule Koblenz University of Applied Sciences.

The programme, coordinated through MKU’s Centre for Professional Development (CPD), combines practical nursing experience, German language training and preparation for employment integration in German healthcare facilities.

The apprentices have successfully completed German language training and a Nursing Apprenticeship preparatory certificate course to prepare them for their studies and professional experience in Germany.

MKU Council Chairman and Pro-Chancellor Dr Vincent Gaitho and Vice-Chancellor Prof Deogratius Jaganyi presided over the send-off ceremony held at the Mwai Kibaki Convention Centre at the university’s main campus in Thika.

Global opportunities

The latest group brings to 105 the number of nurses deployed to Germany through the university’s specialised nursing apprenticeship programme.

Prof Jaganyi described the departure of the 21 apprentices as an important milestone in MKU’s efforts to create international opportunities for its graduates.

He urged the apprentices to approach their experience with discipline, courage and humility while respecting their German hosts, patients, laws and culture.

“Go with discipline. Go with courage. Go and make MKU proud. Go and make Kenya proud,” Prof Jaganyi told the trainees.

He also encouraged them to protect the reputation of their profession, university and country, saying the opportunity should be used to gain practical skills and experience.

The Vice-Chancellor said the apprentices’ journey should ultimately benefit Kenya, urging them to return with knowledge, experience and professional networks that could contribute to the development of the country’s healthcare system.

He said international partnerships with institutions and organisations including Hochschule Koblenz, AG Career Hub, Leven Shelfield, Tirol, Hakuna Matata Recruitment GMBH and German Healthcare Hub were helping MKU create training and employment pathways beyond Kenya.

Prof Jaganyi said the initiative was also responding to healthcare staffing shortages in Europe and North America, where ageing populations have increased demand for qualified healthcare workers.

He said MKU’s role was to open opportunities for its graduates, but success would depend on the apprentices’ commitment to hard work, discipline, integrity and determination.

Call for more jobs

Dr Gaitho urged young people to embrace available employment opportunities while using their skills to create their own sources of income.

He said graduates who remain unemployed after completing their studies can become frustrated, urging the youth to avoid discriminating against available jobs and instead use their qualifications to earn a living.

Dr Gaitho also called on national and county governments to create more employment opportunities for young people. He urged financial institutions to develop special funding and financial packages to support youth enterprises and enable young people to establish businesses.

Some of the beneficiaries, led by Michael Mwangi and Hadijah Mwendwa, described their selection for the programme as a major career milestone. They said the clinical experience and exposure in Germany would equip them with advanced skills that they could eventually apply in Kenya.

The apprentices also called for greater collaboration between the government and educational institutions to raise awareness among students about international training and employment opportunities.

The programme is anchored in the partnership between MKU and Hochschule Koblenz and is coordinated by the Centre for Professional Development, which provides professional and short courses aimed at equipping learners and other Kenyans with additional skills to improve their competitiveness in the job market.

The centre is accredited and recognised by local and international professional certification bodies.