U.S State Representative Huldah Momanyi Leads 14-Member US Delegation to Explore Jobs for Kenyan Nurses

Minnesota State Representative Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley has returned to her home country with a delegation of healthcare providers in a bid to explore a possible partnership with Kenya. 

The visit, which came days after she secured re-election to the Minnesota House of Representatives, seeks to explore a partnership that could create employment opportunities for Kenyan nurses in American hospitals and healthcare institutions.

Speaking during an interview on Monday, November 9, the legislator said the delegation represented healthcare institutions in Minnesota and was in Kenya to advance discussions on recruiting qualified Kenyan nurses to work in the American state.

She explained that the proposed initiative was part of a wider economic and healthcare partnership that would involve engagement between the governments of Kenya and Minnesota, as well as healthcare employers interested in recruiting professionals from the country.

"I've always been on a mission, and I understand the privilege that I carry. I am here to continue building the bridges. I want to bridge the state of Minnesota and Kenya. My priorities are the people of Minnesota but there are also opportunities that can bring mutual benefits to Minnesota and Kenya," she explained.

Momanyi noted Minnesota had been experiencing a shortage of healthcare workers, forcing hospitals and other institutions to explore international recruitment as one way of addressing the gap.

"The reason why I am here i an economic trade initiative which Minnesota has been working for for years. We are trying to bring nurses to Minnesota because there is a shortage of healthcare workers. We have heavily recruited from the Asian countries and the last couple of years we have noticed Kenya has a large population of nursing workforce," she added. 

In March 2026, the Minnesota House of Representatives reported that the state was on course to face a shortage of more than 30,000 nurses by 2030, as the number of nurses retiring was expected to exceed the number entering the profession.

Part of the reason Momanyi identified Kenya was because of the country's youthful population, English-speaking workforce and nursing expertise

"Kenya has a very young population, a hard-working population. English is a part of the national language. That is a low-hanging fruit of a workforce that can come here and solve the problem that we have in the state of Minnesota," she stated.

The delegation's presence in Kenya is intended to facilitate direct discussions with local stakeholders and explore how qualified professionals could be connected to employment opportunities. However, the visit does not in itself mean that specific vacancies, recruitment numbers or departure dates have been confirmed.

As far as demand for nurses is concerned, the US Bureau of Labour Statistics projects that employment of registered nurses will grow by six per cent between 2025 and 2035, with an average of approximately 180,800 openings expected annually across the country.

Kenyan nurses seeking to work in the United States must also meet professional licensing and immigration requirements, with applicants educated outside the US required to submit a credentials evaluation report to establish that their nursing education meets the relevant standards.

Foreign-educated applicants must also satisfy the state's examination and licensing requirements, including passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The Minnesota Board of Nursing also sets English proficiency requirements, with exemptions applying in specified circumstances.

In addition, foreign healthcare workers seeking employment-based immigration in the US generally require a healthcare worker certification, commonly known as VisaScreen, which assesses their education, professional credentials and English proficiency. 

Beyond individual employment opportunities, Momanyi-Hiltsley said the proposed programme would seek to accommodate the immediate families of successful recruits, rather than focusing exclusively on the nurses.

"The beauty of this programme is we're not just targeting that individual nurse. We're targeting, you know, the whole family," she explained.

Momanyi-Hiltsley was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2024, becoming the first legislator of Kenyan heritage to serve in the state's legislature. Following her latest victory, she is expected to begin another two-year term in January 2027, representing District 38A, which covers Osseo and parts of Brooklyn Park.