CS Aden Duale Orders Investigation into Maternal Death at Mukumu Hospital

By : Mweru Mbugua 

 Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has dispatched a team of medical experts to investigate the death of an expectant mother at St. Elizabeth Mukumu Mission Hospital in Kakamega County

CS Duale announced on Monday that the probe team will include officials from the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) and the Ministry of Health’s Director General, Patrick Amoth, to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy

“We are sending a team to investigate the whole ecosystem of Mukumu Hospital, [to find out] why mothers are dying. We must ensure that no mother or child dies unnecessarily,” CS Duale said

The deceased, Grace Wambui Misigo, was admitted to the hospital on February 10, 2026, and died in the labor ward under circumstances her family claims amounted to medical negligence. Relatives alleged that nurses physically coerced her to deliver naturally despite heavy bleeding

“Their job was just to beat her, telling her to push the baby out. She just said, ‘I’m leaving my children and I’m dying’… shortly after, doctors came, covered in blood,” said her sister-in-law, Grace Agara

Her brother-in-law, Daura Adai, added that she had been hit in the chest and ribs, and that blood was everywhere, indicating serious negligence

Medical personnel later recommended a C-section, but it was too late for both mother and child. An autopsy confirmed that the death resulted from multiple organ ruptures, including the ribs and uterus. Efforts to get a response from Mukumu Hospital have so far been unsuccessful

 Also read : Kenya Launches Nationwide Rollout of Long-Acting HIV Prevention Injection Lenacapavir

The case comes as the Ministry of Health continues to strengthen maternal safety initiatives under the National Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) steering committee. CS Duale emphasized the need to prevent all avoidable maternal and newborn deaths

“Every woman matters. Every newborn matters. Every preventable death must be prevented. Together, with unity of purpose and unwavering resolve, we will ensure that every woman and every newborn survives and thrives—everywhere in Kenya,” he said

The Ministry plans to launch a hotline where citizens can report suspected negligence in health facilities nationwide