A 28-year-old woman has set a record at the Kakamega County Referral Hospital by giving birth to bouncing quintuplets.
This was the highest number of children to be born at the facility by one mother at once.
Everlyne Namukhula from Sisokhe village in Navakholo gave birth to three girls and two boys through a Caesarean section on Tuesday night. The C-section lasted about two hours.
Namukhula has four other children, including twins.
A happy Namukhula said she would discuss with her husband whether to get more children.
"I thank God for giving me five children. Now I have nine and I believe, with the help of God, we shall be able to raise them. For me, I think the children are enough but I have to discuss it with the father of the children first to see whether we can add more," she said.
She appealed to the government to support her family. It is not an easy task bringing up quintuplets, she said.
The husband is a casual worker struggling to fend for his family. He also suffers from hearing impairment.
Namukhula was referred to the county facility from Navakholo Subcounty Hospital after doctors discovered that she was carrying more than twins in her womb.
“The mother and the five kids, who are now in the nursery, are in stable condition. We thank God for her. She is a strong woman. What she needs now is a good diet and some medication to fully recover,” Dr Githinji Ndung'u said.
Ndung'u received and examined her. He said this was the highest number of babies to be born in the hospital. It usually records twins and triplets.
Health executive Racheal Okumu visited Namukhula and her newborns. She pledged support to the family. She said Namukhula will benefit from Oparanya Care — a health programme initiated by Governor Wycliffe Oparanya. The mother will also be enrolled for the NHIF cover and the county will pay her premiums.
“As the county government, we shall be able to follow up closely on the wellbeing of these children and the mother to make sure they grow up healthy. They are our future leaders,” Okumu said.
