High-Level Delegation from New Brunswick, Canada, Visits UoN to Seal Nursing Collaboration

A high-level delegation from the Government of New Brunswick, Canada, led by the Assistant Deputy Minister for Immigration, Dany Couillard, held a meeting with the University of Nairobi on the November 12, 202512th 2025. The focus of the discussions was forging a strategic partnership to align nursing education and facilitate the migration of highly skilled Kenyan nurses to Canada.

The University of Nairobi, Deputy vice Chancellor, Finance, Planning and Development prof Jackson Maalu,on behalf of  Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jesang Hutchinson, hosted the Canadian delegation, emphasizing the institution's commitment to producing world-class healthcare professionals ready to meet global standards. “The University of Nairobi has a long-standing tradition of excellence in medical training,” stated Prof. Maalu. “This partnership with New Brunswick presents a unique opportunity not only to export our talent but also to elevate our curriculum through international benchmarking, ensuring our graduates are immediately employable and ready to contribute positively to the Canadian healthcare system.”

The Canadian delegation is seeking sustainable solutions to address critical nursing shortages within the province of New Brunswick. Mr. Dany Couillard, Assistant Deputy Minister for Immigration, highlighted the mutual benefits of the collaboration.

"New Brunswick is committed to strengthening its healthcare workforce, and we recognize the immense talent pool available in Kenya," Mr. Couillard commented. "This visit is about more than recruitment; it is about establishing a robust, ethical framework for talent mobility that includes structured training, credential recognition, and cultural integration programs to ensure a seamless transition for Kenyan nurses."

Mr. Couillard was accompanied by Arbuckle Jake, Director of the Department of Health for the Government of New Brunswick, He focused on the practical and regulatory aspects of the partnership. Discussions centered on creating fast-tracked pathways for the recognition of UoN’s nursing degrees and certifications in New Brunswick, reducing bureaucratic hurdles for prospective migrants.

The meeting involved key Kenyan government officials, underscoring the collaboration's significance to national labour export goals. Representing the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection were Festus Mutuse, Director of Labour Migration at the National Employment Authority (NEA), and Alice Chonga, Director of Labour.

Mr. Mutuse noted that the partnership aligns perfectly with the government's strategy of skills-based job creation and ethical labour migration.

"Our objective is to ensure that Kenyan professionals who seek opportunities abroad do so legally, ethically, and with dignity," said Mr. Mutuse. "This government-to-government and institutional partnership provides the necessary structure to protect the rights of our nurses and maximize the benefits of remittances and knowledge transfer back to Kenya."

Rose Murugi, representing the National Industry Training Authority (NITA), discussing the possibility of jointly developing short-term refresher or up-skilling courses designed to bridge any minor curriculum differences between the Kenyan and Canadian standards, ensuring a perfect fit for the New Brunswick healthcare system.

The talks concluded with an agreement to form a joint working committee comprising representatives from UoN’s Faculty of Health Sciences, the New Brunswick Departments of Health and Immigration, and the relevant Kenyan ministries. This committee is tasked with finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) within the next quarter, which will outline specific quotas, training programs, and timelines for the first cohort of nurses to relocate under the new partnership.

The initiative is poised to become a blueprint for future labour mobility partnerships between Kenya and other Canadian provinces.