Hope for preemies as Makueni hosts national commemoration

Makueni First Lady Anita Mutula (in purple), Ushirika Wema Foundation chair and managing trustee Tessie Mudavadi (in African print) and China’s Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan (in white trousers) join Community Health Promoters outside the Mother and Child Hospital in Wote on Monday after touring the Kangaroo Mother Care Unit./HANDOUT

Makueni County on Monday, November 17, 2025, hosted the National World Prematurity Day commemorations at the Mother and Child Hospital, drawing national attention to the urgent fight against newborn deaths.

The event was presided over by Tessie Mudavadi, spouse of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and head of the Ushirika Wema Foundation, alongside Makueni First Lady Anita Mutula.

During the ceremony, the Ushirika Wema Foundation donated six neonatal incubators and accompanying accessories to the counties of Makueni, Kitui, and Machakos, each receiving two under the Okoa Malaika Programme, which supports the care of preterm infants.

According to Tessie, the national government has expanded the Linda Jamii health cover in an effort to curb the rising number of premature births, now estimated at 13% of all deliveries in Kenya.

Ushirika Wema Foundation chair and managing trustee Tessie Mudavadi(Right) embraces Makueni First Lady Anita Mutula (left) during the National World Prematurity Day celebrations at the Mother and Child Hospital in Wote on Monday, where the two leaders jointly steered the event./HANDOUT

The enhanced cover aims to improve access to skilled birth attendance and critical newborn care across the country.

In her address, First Lady Anita Mutula highlighted that Makueni’s maternal mortality rate currently stands at 21 per 1,000 live births, a figure that underscores the need for stronger maternal and newborn interventions.

She noted that the county recorded 1,411 preterm births over the past year, with 250 infants, heartbreakingly, not surviving their first month of life. To reverse this trend, Makueni has intensified investments in neonatal care.

Makueni First Lady Anita Mutula on Monday when she received neonatal incubators from Ushirika Wema Foundation chair and managing trustee Tessie Mudavadi at the Mother and Child Hospital in Wote, boosting the county’s newborn care capacity./HANDOUT

In October, the county partnered with ENI Kenya to establish the region’s first neonatal intensive care unit at the Makueni County Referral Hospital, an initiative designed to give preterm and low-birth-weight infants a stronger chance at survival.

The county has also expanded its Kangaroo Mother Care programme, building on its success in which 512 out of 515 preterm infants survived through skin-to-skin care. Additional spaces have been created, more health workers trained, and community outreach enhanced to support families through pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery.

Makueni First Lady Anita Mutula with Ushirika Wema Foundation chair and managing trustee Tessie Mudavadi at the Mother and Child Hospital in Wote./HANDOUT

In recognition of her advocacy, Tessie Mudavadi named Anita Mutula the Okoa Malaika Champion for the Southeastern region.

The event also drew participation from the Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, Guo Hiyan, who underscored the broader social implications of prematurity and commended ongoing efforts to uplift vulnerable newborns through the Okoa Malaika initiative.