• As Nairobi’s historic maternity hospital marks its centenary, two round-the-clock maternity theatres, an upgraded Newborn Unit and an on-site blood donation centre are strengthening care for mothers and babies.

Pumwani Maternity Hospital recorded just two maternal deaths out of approximately 16,500 deliveries in 2025, marking a major milestone for one of Kenya’s busiest maternity facilities.

Both deaths involved mothers who were referred to the hospital late, highlighting the importance of timely access to specialised medical care for women experiencing life-threatening pregnancy and childbirth complications.

Established in 1926, Pumwani has welcomed generations of Kenyan children and cared for mothers from Nairobi and beyond. In May 2026, the President recognised the facility as the best-performing hospital in maternal and newborn care.

As it prepares to celebrate 100 years of service, the hospital is also undergoing significant improvements aimed at strengthening its capacity to deliver quality maternal and newborn healthcare.

Health and Nutrition County Executive Committee Member Suzanne Silantoi says Pumwani now has two fully operational maternity theatres running around the clock.

“Additional medical personnel and improved emergency response have strengthened the hospital’s ability to manage complicated pregnancies and perform emergency deliveries at any hour,” she said.

The hospital has also established an on-site blood donation centre to improve access to blood and blood products for mothers facing life-threatening complications, including severe bleeding during or after childbirth.

Silantoi said the improvements are part of wider investments in Nairobi’s public health facilities under Governor Sakaja Johnson.

The county has also introduced a CEO-led management model in its major hospitals, giving Pumwani dedicated executive oversight of daily operations, resource management and service delivery.

In June 2026, the hospital commissioned its upgraded Newborn Unit, equipped to care for premature and critically ill babies.

The unit features a central heating system to help prevent hypothermia and dedicated space for kangaroo mother care, which allows mothers to hold their babies skin-to-skin.

Medical Superintendent Dr Chris Mugambi reported that the heating system had improved thermal regulation outcomes by more than 75 per cent.

Pumwani is also home to Kenya’s Human Milk Bank, which provides screened and pasteurised donor breast milk to vulnerable newborns whose mothers are unable to breastfeed.

By August 2025, the milk bank had supported 1,887 newborns, extending its services beyond Pumwani to other county hospitals, including Mbagathi and Mama Lucy Kibaki.

To mark its centenary, the hospital is inviting Kenyans born at the facility, alongside their parents and grandparents, to share their stories and birth years through the campaign, “Ulizaliwa Pumwani? Tuambie mwaka wako wa kuzaliwa!”

The celebrations will run from December 7 to 11, 2026, under the theme Pumwani @100 – A Century of Life and Legacy, with the hashtags #PumwaniAt100, #NilizaliwaPumwani and #PumwaniBabies.

For generations of families, Pumwani is where their stories began. As it enters its second century, the hospital is seeking to build on that legacy through improved facilities, stronger emergency response and better care for mothers and newborns.