How health professionals are licensed in Kenya

Medical and health education in Kenya

Kenyan doctors qualify through a six-year MBChB at one of more than a dozen universities, taught in English. The Commission for University Education (CUE) accredits the universities, and the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) approves the clinical training programmes. Dentistry and pharmacy are typically five-year degrees. A distinctive feature is the clinical officer cadre: the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) trains clinical officers and nurses at diploma level, and these are separate registered professions, not routes into medicine.

The internship is the link between graduation and licensing. After the MBChB, a doctor completes a 12-month supervised internship at an approved facility and is then entitled to full registration with the KMPDC. Foreign-trained doctors must sit the Internship Qualifying Examination first, which is covered later on this page. Nurses register with the Nursing Council of Kenya after a diploma or degree. Rules changed under the 2022 Training, Assessment and Registration Rules, so check the KMPDC for the current version.

Kenya: a rules-based system built around the internship

In Kenya, the internship is the hinge of medical licensing. A foreign-trained doctor does not go straight to registration. They first pass a qualifying examination to be allowed to start an internship at all, complete a supervised placement, and only then move to a pre-registration step. The 2022 Training, Assessment and Registration Rules also extend assessment to locally trained graduates, which is a recent change worth checking against current KMPDC notices.

Nursing works differently. There the Nursing Council of Kenya examination is the main licensing event for nearly every candidate, and it runs on a calendar with several sittings a year.

Who needs a licensing exam in Kenya

Doctors and dentists: the Internship Qualifying Examination

KMPDC publishes a guidance document for the Internship Qualifying Examination (IQE). It covers foreign-trained doctors and, under a parallel process, dentists. The examination is described as multiple-choice questions plus a clinical component; the guidance document is the place to check the current structure.

• Fees listed by KMPDC: KSh 5,000 for the application and KSh 30,000 for evaluation. Fees can change, so confirm them on the current notice.
• Verification: ECFMG verification of the medical degree is required for foreign-trained applicants.
• After passing: a four-month attachment, followed by the pre-registration examination for full registration.

1. Start credential verification early. ECFMG verification can take weeks.
2. Apply to KMPDC and pay the application and evaluation fees.
3. Sit the IQE (MCQ and clinical).
4. Complete the attachment of about four months.
5. Sit the pre-registration examination and apply for full registration.

Nurses and midwives: the NCK licensure examination

The Nursing Council of Kenya runs the main licensure examination for nurses and midwives. Candidates include graduates of the Kenya Registered Community Health Nursing (KRCHN) diploma, which combines nursing and midwifery, and of BScN programmes. Foreign-trained nurses and midwives apply through the Council as well.

The format is described as multiple-choice questions, on computer or paper, plus a practical assessment. The Council has run several sittings a year, for example in May, August and November, so there is usually a next date within a few months. Kenya sends many nurses to the Gulf and the UK, and candidates often prepare for several licensing exams in parallel.

1. Check eligibility and the registration steps on the NCK registration page.
2. Choose a sitting and complete the online application.
3. Sit the theory paper and the practical.
4. Receive results and apply for the practising licence.

Pharmacists: the PPB examination

The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) sets an online pre-registration or licensure examination for pharmacists. Press coverage mentions a June 2026 sitting. Candidates are pharmacy graduates who have finished their internship, and foreign-trained pharmacists are also assessed. We could not confirm an official page for the examination in our latest review, so look for the notice on the PPB website.

Physiotherapists: council examination under the 2017 Rules

The Physiotherapists (Registration and Licensing) Rules 2017 provide for an examination run by the Physiotherapy Council of Kenya. Graduates and foreign-trained physiotherapists are both covered. Public details on format are limited, so contact the Council for the current schedule.

Kenyan licensing examinations compared

Language and recognition routes

English is the language of the Kenyan examinations and of health training. No separate language certificate is part of the examinations described above.

For foreign-trained doctors, ECFMG verification is the recognition step that precedes everything else, and it is also the route that US-bound graduates use. For nurses, the NCK registration process asks for training and licence documents before the examination date is allocated. Document checks are where most delays happen, so start them first.

Using TriagePass for Kenyan exams

We provide domain-organised practice with explained answers and mock papers timed to the real format where it is published. We are independent of KMPDC, NCK, PPB and PCK. Join the waitlist to hear when a Kenyan course opens.

Practical points that decide how long Kenyan registration takes

Kenyan registration is slow mostly because of documents rather than because of the papers. Three things routinely hold candidates up.

• Verification of the primary degree. ECFMG verification for foreign-trained doctors depends on your medical school responding. Start the request as soon as you decide to apply.
• The attachment. After the IQE, a four-month supervised attachment is required. Placements are limited, so ask KMPDC how placements are allocated and apply early.
• Calendar fit. The NCK offers several sittings a year, but each has a registration cut-off. Missing it usually means waiting for the next sitting.

Study approach by profession

For doctors, build practice around the core clinical specialities and the Kenyan disease burden, including malaria, HIV and tuberculosis, maternal and newborn care, injuries and non-communicable disease. For nurses, mix theory with practical rehearsal, since the practical element can be failed independently of the written paper. For pharmacists, the online format means you should practise on screen, including calculation questions.

Kenya sends many nurses to the Gulf and the UK. If that is your plan, sequence the exams: the Kenyan licence usually comes first because overseas regulators ask for evidence of registration in good standing.

Last reviewed October 2026