Tessie Mudavadi donates Neonatal Incubators to four counties to improve care for premature babies
Mrs Tessie Mudavadi addressing stakeholders during the handing over ceremony.
By MKT Reporter
Mrs. Tessie Mudavadi, the spouse of Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, has donated eight neonatal incubators to health facilities in Narok, Kajiado, Kericho and Bomet counties under the Okoa Malaika infant pre-term aid programme.
The equipment was handed over during a ceremony at Narok County Referral Hospital attended by Narok Central Deputy County Commissioner Kennedy Mwangome, Narok Deputy Governor Tamalinye Koech, County Executive Committee Members for Health and First Ladies from the four beneficiary counties.
Okoa Malaika, an initiative implemented through the Office of the Spouse to the Prime Cabinet Secretary with support from partners including the Mudavadi Memorial Foundation and Ushiriki Wema, seeks to improve maternal and newborn healthcare by supplying essential neonatal equipment to hospitals across the country. According to Mrs. Mudavadi, the programme has so far reached more than 20 counties.
She said the initiative complements the government’s efforts to reduce neonatal mortality by ensuring premature babies receive specialised care during their most vulnerable days. Kenya currently records about 22 neonatal deaths for every 1,000 live births, with many of the deaths linked to complications arising from preterm births.
Mrs. Mudavadi noted that many families continue to face challenges in accessing specialised neonatal care due to inadequate medical facilities, limited resources and geographical barriers.
“With the donation of these incubators to the respective counties, however modest it may seem, we are taking an important step towards ensuring that pre-term infants receive the care and stability they need during those critical early days,” she said.
She also called on Kenyans to support the Social Health Authority (SHA), saying the country’s transition to the new health insurance system is critical to achieving Universal Health Coverage.
“As a nation, we are transitioning into a new health insurance platform, and I urge every Kenyan to support it so that it delivers the intended benefits to all citizens,” she said.
Mrs. Mudavadi further appealed to communities to abandon harmful cultural practices such as female genital mutilation and early pregnancies, noting that such practices continue to undermine efforts to improve maternal and child health. She added that the government remains committed to integrating modern healthcare with positive cultural practices while discouraging traditions that endanger lives.
She also observed that the expansion of the Linda Jamii health cover is expected to help address the growing number of premature births, currently estimated at about 13 per cent of all deliveries in Kenya.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by Deputy Governor Tamalinye Koech, Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu lauded the donation, saying premature infants require specialised care that is often unavailable in many health facilities. He noted that many newborns die from complications related to premature birth, while survivors may experience lifelong disabilities, including visual, hearing and learning challenges.
He said investing in neonatal equipment not only saves newborn lives but also protects mothers from emotional trauma and strengthens families.
According to health experts, Kenya recorded 4,112 neonatal deaths out of 20,156 under-five deaths reported in health facilities last year, with an estimated three-quarters of the deaths considered preventable through timely and affordable medical interventions.
Narok Central Deputy County Commissioner Kennedy Mwangome expressed concern over the rising cases of defilement, incest, female genital mutilation and teenage pregnancies in the county. He warned chiefs and village elders against resolving defilement cases through informal “kangaroo courts,” saying the practice denies survivors justice and protects offenders.
Mwangome reaffirmed the government’s commitment to prosecuting perpetrators of gender-based violence and eliminating harmful cultural practices that threaten the health, education and future of girls.
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