NAIROBI, Kenya – Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has revealed that he was born prematurely, sharing a deeply personal account of his early life and explaining why maternal and newborn healthcare remains a major priority for his administration.
Speaking during the Kenya Health Summit 2026 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on Wednesday, August 19, Sakaja connected his own survival as a premature baby to his efforts to improve healthcare services for mothers and newborns in Nairobi.
Sakaja said his interest in maternal mortality is rooted in his family’s experience with pregnancy complications and loss.
“Many people may not know why I am very passionate about issues of maternal mortality,” he told delegates during a session focusing on excellence in maternal, newborn and referral care.
The governor revealed that his late mother experienced three pregnancy losses before giving birth to his eldest sister.
“My late mother had lost three children before my eldest sister was born. She had difficulty with pregnancy, so the first three died,” Sakaja said.
He explained that following the birth of his eldest sister, doctors advised his mother to limit the number of children she had because of the complications she had experienced.
“After she gave birth to my eldest sister, she was told she could only have two children,” he said.
Despite the difficult history, Sakaja was eventually born, although his arrival came with another major medical challenge.
Sakaja said he was born prematurely in the 1980s, at a time when access to specialised neonatal equipment was limited.
“I was born premature, and in the 1980s, I think it was very difficult to get an incubator,” he recalled.
The lack of adequate equipment meant that Sakaja had to be transferred to another healthcare facility where he could receive specialised care.
“And so, because of that, I had to be taken to a different facility. I stayed in an incubator for a long time, and now I’m here. I survived,” he said.
Sakaja said his experience as a premature baby influenced his approach to healthcare after he became Nairobi governor. He recalled being surprised to discover that Nairobi did not have a neonatal intensive care unit when he took office.
“When I became governor, I realised that Nairobi had no neonatal ICUs at all. I said this story must change,” he said.
According to the governor, his administration has since expanded neonatal and newborn care capacity across Nairobi’s public health facilities.
The county has increased neonatal intensive care capacity to 23 beds, while newborn unit capacity has grown to 224 beds, according to figures shared by Sakaja.
The administration has also been undertaking improvements at facilities including Pumwani Maternity Hospital and Mbagathi Hospital, with the aim of strengthening specialised maternal and referral services.
Sakaja highlighted the progress at Pumwani Maternity Hospital, describing it as an important maternal health facility serving Nairobi and the wider region.
The governor said he regularly shares his personal experience when speaking to mothers whose babies have been born prematurely.
His message, he said, is intended to give families hope during what can be an extremely difficult period.
“I encourage mothers. I tell them, ‘Don’t worry. If your child is born small, even me- I was born small. Your child can become a governor, a lawyer or a doctor,’” Sakaja said.
