About a decade ago, the term ‘CNA’, certified nursing assistant, was largely unfamiliar in Kenya, save for those who had working relatives in the US, Canada, Germany or the UK.

In healthcare, the career path was straightforward—parents often sent their children to train as nurses, doctors, clinical officers, pharmacists or lab technicians.

However, when many Kenyans travelled abroad and found work opportunities, especially in Europe and the Gulf states, job seekers began to take notice.

Last year, investors too saw a window of opportunity.
Gordon Asadhi and Alex Obadiah are among them.
Mr Asadhi is the CEO and Director of First American Health Institute (Fahi).

Having worked as a nurse in Kenya for seven years before relocating to the US in 2019 and becoming a certified CNA trainer, he says he saw firsthand a growing number of young Kenyans who had the passion but lacked structured training opportunities. “There were people who wanted to care, to heal, to serve,” he says, “but the system hadn’t given them the right foundation to do so.”

Bartmore Technical College in Pipeline, Nakuru County on October 23, 2025.

Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group

In 2017, he set up his CNA training school. The early days, however, were not a walk in the park.

“The first hurdle was perception,” Mr Asadhi recalls.
“Many families thought a CNA was just a casual domestic worker.”

There was also resistance from some nurses who feared that introducing CNAs would disrupt their careers. On top of that, he required heavy investment in advanced laboratories, and getting qualified tutors in a market that was facing an existing scarcity was a challenge.

Meeting the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) curriculum standards and licensing requirements was also tedious, involving many days of paperwork.

“Running a college offering health courses isn’t just about teaching,” he says. “It’s about building trust with students, parents, and the healthcare system itself.”

Still, he pressed on. He hired tutors who were seasoned nurses, some holding a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or higher diploma. He invested in a skills lab, like a mini-intensive care unit. He also introduced hospital rotations and mapped the curriculum to international CNA levels, eyeing job placements abroad.

He was aiming to train for the overseas market and Kenya hospitals, home-based care agencies, dialysis centres, drug rehabilitation centres, hospices and homes. Abroad, he says, offers better job prospects because of the growing ageing population and post-pandemic shortages that made caregiving a high-demand profession.

“The demand is high,” Mr Asadhi explains, “particularly in countries like the US, Germany, Finland, Saudi Arabia, and Ireland.”

Manikins used for practical training of healthcare learners at First American Health Institute’s skills laboratory on Outering Road, Nairobi, October 14, 2025.

Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group

However, he is quick to point out that demand shifts with politics.
“In Finland, for example, there was huge interest until mid-2024, when a new government came in that was less migration-friendly. Yet, the same country continues to recruit caregivers from the Philippines. That’s why I wish our government would engage with Finland to reopen opportunities for Kenyans.”

CNA graduates who are lucky to relocate to the US go under the employment visa, EB-3 visa programme.

Mr Asadhi says Kenyan caregivers stand out on the world stage because of their strong English proficiency, adaptability, and a natural sense of empathy. “Kenyan trainees work hard, learn fast, and blend easily in multicultural settings,” he says. “That makes them attractive to global employers.”

He does not promise jobs, but he ensures graduates are placement-ready, partnering with international recruiters like Kacey Staffing, Triangle Consulting, and MedPro International.

“Integrity matters,” Mr Asadhi says. “We’ve seen too many stories of people being misled by fake recruiters. That’s why we work with vetted partners, and we train our students to spot red flags.”
On competing roles with nurses, he argues, “CNA training strengthens both fronts. If hospitals here embraced CNAs fully, nurses could focus on complex care, while CNAs handle non-technical but equally important duties.”

Mr Asadhi, whose college has since grown to three branches, also believes Kenya can learn from countries where CNA experience is a prerequisite for nursing school.

“With proper oversight and standardisation, CNAs can become a recognised professional tier under the Nursing Council of Kenya,” he adds.

In countries such as the US, CNAs must undergo formal training, after which they are certified and registered under a national regulatory authority before they can legally practice.

In Kenya, the equivalent cadre is commonly referred to as healthcare assistants or caregivers and is recognised under the TVET framework.

Students attend a class at First American Health Institute, Outering Road, Nairobi, on October 14, 2025.

Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group

In Nakuru, Alex Obadiah has also set up a CNA training school. He left for the US in 2013 through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Programme, commonly known as the Green Card lottery.
After a decade, he returned to Kenya.

In 2022, he set up Bartmore Technical College, a registered TVET institution under the Ministry of Education.
“I had seen several gaps,” he says. “First, there’s a growing shortage of skilled healthcare support workers in Kenya and abroad. Secondly, youth unemployment in Kenya and across Africa is high, and CNA training offers practical, high-demand skills that can bridge the gap between joblessness and opportunity.”

The decision has paid off. The college has not only trained CNAs who now serve in local hospitals but also created jobs within the institution itself.

Just like Mr Asadhi, launching a CNA training institution in Kenya was not smooth for him either. “One of the first challenges was to remove the wrong notion about the programme,” Mr Obadiah recalls. “There were already some conniving players in the market promising training and guaranteed jobs abroad, but these promises never materialised. Many young people had lost trust.”

He says CNA under TVET is recognised locally, “but for international pathways, you need global accreditation. That’s why we chose to become a PearsonVue University Enterprise and a proctored exam centre for recognised international certifications and partner with the American Medical Certification Association.”

CNA also offers a stepping stone to other professions in healthcare.
“Many go on to pursue nursing and other medical fields abroad, and we support them, even helping them secure scholarships,” he says, adding, “In the West, populations are ageing fast, and there’s a rising need for caregivers and in Kenya, we’re facing a massive brain drain as nurses leave for jobs abroad. Nursing assistants can help plug that gap.”

Belinda Saenyi, tutor at First American Health Institute, demonstrates the use of a Hoyer lift to assist bedridden patients during a practical session at the institute’s skills lab, Outering Road, Nairobi, on October 14, 2025.

Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group

He also says CNA graduates from Kenya are attractive to global employers. “They do patient care and support, help with daily activities like feeding, mobility, grooming, and basic comfort, that’s core. Then there are vital signs monitoring, infection control, and communication across cultures. Kenyans are particularly preferred because they integrate easily into Western cultures and speak English fluently. That’s a big advantage.”

But as more students enroll to train as CNAs, unlike nurses and midwives who are regulated by the Nursing Council of Kenya, caregivers have no specific national professional body overseeing them.

The council’s mandate is limited to nurses and midwives, while doctors, pharmacists and dentists are under medical unions such as the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union.

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