The government is rolling out 10 specialised hospitals in 10 counties as part of efforts to reduce maternal and newborn deaths and improve access to emergency care.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the facilities will form part of the Mother and Child Lifeline Initiative and will be established in Nairobi, Bomet, Kwale, Mombasa, Garissa, Kisumu, Embu, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu and West Pokot.
Speaking during the laying of the foundation stone for Chebunyi Mother and Child Hospital in Bomet on September 12, 2026, Duale said the hospitals will provide a wide range of specialised services for mothers and newborns.
The facilities will include maternal intensive care units, labour, delivery and recovery sections, as well as two operating theatres for emergency and elective Caesarean sections.
They will also have post-Caesarean and postnatal care units, newborn units and neonatal intensive care units.
Duale said the initiative had received Cabinet approval, while the Council of Governors and the 10 county governments had signed Intergovernmental Partnership Agreements to facilitate its implementation.
He said the required statutory approvals, including environmental requirements, had also been completed.
The Health CS said the project is part of a broader government strategy targeting counties with high maternal and newborn mortality rates.
“26 high burden counties” have been identified under the Every Woman, Every Newborn, Everywhere initiative, Duale said, adding that progress had already been recorded in some areas.
“Two counties already have left under your policy direction,” he said, referring to counties that had moved out of the high-burden category.
Duale said the government was seeking to ensure that mothers and children do not die from causes that can be prevented or treated through timely medical intervention.
“No mother or child should die from a preventable cause,” he said.
The initiative is being implemented with support from the Amasons Group through its corporate social responsibility programme, according to Duale.
He said the investment would strengthen the country’s capacity to provide specialised care, particularly for mothers and newborns requiring emergency treatment, surgery and intensive care.
The Chebunyi facility in Bomet is among the 10 hospitals expected to support the government’s efforts to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes in high-burden areas.