Many medical interns approach me seeking ways to change their internship posting. Often, this is the first time they are hearing of these places—let alone imagining living and working there.
Let me tell you this plainly: internship is best done in the outstations. To date, I still rely heavily on the clinical judgment, resilience, and hands-on experience I gained during my internship. Those early years shape you in ways no textbook or urban comfort ever will.
Machakos: Where It All Began
Born and raised in Nairobi, I was accustomed to a relatively functional health system. My posting to Machakos District Hospital was a culture shock. The hospital was dilapidated. Resources were limited. Systems were weak. But we were determined We were a team of hardworking interns, guided by dedicated consultants, supported by committed nurses and a strong Medical Training Centre (MTC). Within one year, we transformed that hospital into the go-to facility in Machakos. By 2002, it had become a preferred centre for care.
I stayed on as Medical Officer in Charge for two more years.
And Machakos didn’t just shape my career—it shaped my life:
• I met my life partner, Kui Mucara Kui, there
• I became Chairman of KMA Machakos Division, earning a seat at the National Governing Council
• A journey that, 25 years later, culminated in becoming President of the Kenya Medical Association
Isiolo:
The Unknown That Built Me
After my Masters at the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta National Hospital, I was posted to Isiolo District Hospital.
At the posting meeting, when Isiolo was called out, there was hesitation in the room. No one seemed eager. Many didn’t even know where it was.
I made a quick call to a colleague Dr Wyckliffe Kaisha Otsianyi who had briefly worked there. His advice was simple:
“Just take it.”
I raised my hand.
Later, I bought a paper map to locate Isiolo. That is how unfamiliar it was.
When I reported, I went with my parents and my wife. Years later, at my farewell, someone remarked:
“You are the only consultant who reported with his parents and wife.”
At the time, I didn’t realise how unusual that was. But in hindsight, it symbolised something deeper—the uncertainty, the courage, and the commitment required to step into the unknown.
I served in Isiolo for five years. Those years grounded me as a clinician and as a person.
Murang’a and the Lessons of Service
After Isiolo, I sought a posting closer to Nairobi. I was briefly posted to Meru and declined — the first time I pushed back on a posting. I got the term as ‘the doctor who refuses a DMS posting’.
Just before health was unconstitutionally devolved , In 2013 I moved to Murang’a District Hospital, where I worked for seven years. Because devolution stopped inter-county transfers, I was later moved within the county to Kigumo Subcounty Hospital, where I continue to serve.
This journey reinforced one belief:
Doctors must remain portable. Mobility builds competence, empathy, and national unity. This was possible with the proposed Health Service Commission.
Why You Should Go— Especially If It’s Far
Dear intern,
The further you are posted from home, the greater your opportunity:
• You will see more pathology than you ever imagined
• You will develop confidence and independence
• You will learn to work with limited resources—a true test of clinical skill
• You will understand Kenya beyond your comfort zone
• You will build lifelong relationships and networks
• You will discover who you truly are as a doctor
Unlike our time, where the Public Service Commission ensured national exposure, today’s system — complicated by devolution, tribalism, and nepotism — may limit your mobility later in your career. Internship may be your only guaranteed chance to serve outside your home region.
Final Word
Do not run away from your posting.
Run towards it.
Because in that unfamiliar town, in that under-resourced hospital, in that difficult call night —
You will become the doctor you are meant to be
Dr Simon Kigondu is a Gyneaecologist and was a medical intern in the year 2000 – 2001