Juja woman loses four babies days after rare quintuplet birth

The quintuplets were moved to KNH shortly after birth due to their extremely low birth weights and the need for intensive newborn care.

The babies weighed between 630 and 800 grammes, placing them at high risk due to extreme prematurity.

Kanini's pregnancy had lasted six months.

The delivery, which occurred a day before the infants' deaths, was a rare occurrence believed to be one of only five such cases recorded in Kenya's history.

"They needed more special care at Kenyatta National Hospital. Their weight was too small. They needed specialised ICU for newborns," a healthcare official said.

Speaking at the hospital shortly after the delivery, Kanini recounted how she delivered the first baby soon after arriving, prompting nurses to begin preparing her for a Caesarean section to deliver the rest.

That decision was later reversed after doctors examined her and determined she could safely deliver the remaining babies normally.

"After some time, I don't know what happened, they said I could deliver normally. I was very happy on learning that I had delivered five babies," she said.

She said she was calm throughout the delivery and praised the medical team for the care she received. "I was not afraid, the way I have been attended to has made me happy," she said. "My babies were put in nurseries and attended to well," she added.

This was Kanini's third pregnancy, having previously given birth to a boy and a girl. Her husband, Evans Nyamhanga, had described the birth of five babies, up from the four the couple had expected, as a miracle.

"I was expecting four babies but God has been a God of miracles, we have got five," he said at the time, while appealing for financial support to help the family cope with the demands of caring for the newborns.

The family had also appealed to Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi and well-wishers for support, with the governor having already provided an ambulance to assist with the family's needs.