NAIROBI, Kenya – Seventeen years after the loss of her unborn son, renowned Kenyan based journalist Ndu Okoh has opened up about the painful memory of what she believes was preventable—an experience she attributes to medical negligence.
Speaking during an emotional segment on Spice FM’s breakfast show, Okoh recounted the events leading to the death of her baby in 2008.
With her voice steady but heavy with grief, she reflected on what would have been her son’s 17th birthday this September.
“I was pregnant with this baby…” she said. “I knew something was wrong, and I told my doctor. She told me to go to one of the top hospitals in the country. But when I arrived, she wasn’t there.”
What followed, according to Okoh, was a series of oversights that would ultimately result in the loss of her child.
Despite repeatedly expressing concern to the attending medical staff, Okoh said she was met with indifference.
A test was done, but she was never given the results.
“At that time, I was unknowingly leaking amniotic fluid,” she said. “My baby was dying, and I had no idea.”
The following day, she said, her doctor prescribed medication that triggered a miscarriage—what Okoh calls an “unintended abortion.”
There was no prior warning, no clear diagnosis, and no indication that she was in critical danger. The only acknowledgment came after the fact.
“She looked at me and said, ‘I’m sorry.’ That was it,” Okoh recounted.
Now, nearly two decades later, Okoh says she still struggles with the weight of what happened.
“If someone had just paid a little more attention, if someone had done their job properly, I would be celebrating my son’s 17th birthday this year.”
Her story resonates beyond personal tragedy, serving as a chilling reminder of the consequences of neglect within healthcare systems—especially for women who are often dismissed or not taken seriously during pregnancy.
“How many women go through this?” she asked. “We ask that you listen, that you care enough to do your job.”
