Kenya is preparing to establish 10 specialised maternal and newborn health facilities in counties carrying some of the country’s heaviest burden of maternal deaths, combining new infrastructure with additional healthcare workers and expanded funding for maternity services.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale discussed the rollout with governors and county representatives led by Council of Governors Health Committee Chairperson and Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Nassir, as national and county governments work to implement President William Ruto’s directive to prioritise maternal and newborn health.
The planned 250-bed facilities will be built in Nairobi, Bomet, Kwale, Mombasa, Garissa, Kisumu, Embu, Nakuru, West Pokot and Uasin Gishu, bringing specialised services closer to communities where access to advanced care can make a critical difference during complicated pregnancies, deliveries and the first days of a newborn’s life.
KES 4.4 billion grant backs new facilities
The project is supported by a KES 4.4 billion grant from Amsons Group through the Mama na Mtoto Kwanza initiative, working in partnership with the Kenyan government to strengthen maternal and newborn services. Each facility is expected to provide a broad range of care under one roof, including antenatal and postnatal services, labour and recovery facilities, obstetric care, Caesarean sections and intensive care for mothers and newborns.
Operating theatres, neonatal intensive care units and dedicated post-Caesarean wards are also planned, creating a more complete chain of care from pregnancy through childbirth and the postnatal period. The investment complements the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere programme and forms part of Kenya’s wider Universal Health Coverage agenda.
Counties with highest burden receive priority
The decision to concentrate resources in selected areas follows the mapping of 26 counties that collectively account for approximately 60% of Kenya’s maternal deaths. Rather than spreading specialised infrastructure evenly across the country, the government is directing the initial investment towards communities where the need is considered greatest, with the approach aligned with World Health Organization benchmarks and Kenya’s commitment to ending preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
Access to comprehensive services can be particularly important when complications require urgent intervention, as delays in reaching suitably equipped facilities or obtaining specialist treatment can increase risks for both mothers and babies. Groundbreaking for the new facilities is expected by September, placing pressure on national and county authorities to coordinate planning and move quickly from funding commitments to construction and service delivery.
Thousands of nurses and midwives being recruited
Infrastructure is only one part of the programme, with Kenya also expanding the health workforce needed to operate maternal and newborn services effectively. Under the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere programme, 900 healthcare workers have already received training in obstetric care, while another 900 have been trained in comprehensive newborn care.
The ongoing recruitment of 5,000 nurses and midwives is expected to add further capacity, particularly as new and existing facilities require enough skilled professionals to provide safe maternity and newborn services consistently. The workforce investment is intended to ensure that new buildings and medical equipment are matched by trained personnel capable of responding to routine deliveries as well as emergencies requiring specialised intervention.
KES 4 billion supports deliveries at local facilities
Alongside the specialised centres, KES 4 billion is being channelled through the Social Health Authority to support maternal deliveries at Level 2 and Level 3 health facilities, expanding access to maternity care closer to where families live.
The combination of community-level services and specialised referral facilities is intended to create a stronger healthcare pathway, allowing routine maternity care to be provided locally while women and newborns requiring advanced treatment can be referred to better-equipped centres.
The latest discussions brought together national health officials and county leaders, including governors, deputy governors and county health executives, with coordination between the two levels of government expected to play a central role in getting the facilities operational.
With construction preparations advancing and thousands of healthcare workers being trained or recruited, Kenya is seeking to turn targeted investment into measurable reductions in preventable deaths while making safe childbirth and specialised newborn care more accessible across high-burden communities.
