Judge blocks nurses’ examination results

The court has overturned a directive to release provisional examination results for licensing 3,000 nurses.

The decision follows an application filed at the High Court Thursday, challenging Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia’s directive to have the results released before final moderation.

Nursing Council of Kenya and its board member Micah Onyiego Matiang’i, through Mr Alexander Jaoko, told the court that the CS was putting into disrepute the credibility of Kenya’s health professionals.

The results were to be released Thursday.

The petitioners said the order was an affront to the professional standing of the nurses.

“It is designed to compromise the credibility of national examination results and the integrity of the candidates,” read the court documents.

Mr Jaoko said the CS had no power to issue such directives.

“Either a nurse qualifies to practise or does not,” he told the court. “The nursing profession holds an important stake in the delivery of safe, quality and professional health care to the citizens,” he said.

He added that licence examinations were managed by the council to guarantee that the people ushered into the profession were skilled.

“This is about licensing 3,000 health professionals to serve 44 million Kenyans,” said Mr Matiang’i.

The court was told that releasing provisional results would undermine the legal powers of the nursing council to scrutinise and authenticate results.

“The so-called awaiting ratification is tantamount to relegating NCK to a rubber stamp role,” added Mr Jaoko.

The petitioners said the directive was a complete negation of the principles of public service.

After granting the order, the court directed that the suit be served to the respondents within seven days for a hearing on November 18.