Mama Lucy Hospital breaks ground for new 53-bed newborn unit

Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital has officially commenced the construction of a new 53-bed Newborn Unit to address the growing influx of patients and ease congestion at the facility.

Speaking on Thursday during the groundbreaking ceremony, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Fredrick Obwanda, described the project as a historic milestone in tackling longstanding congestion challenges. He noted that the new unit will create adequate space for mothers and enhance the quality of neonatal care.

“Congestion has been one of our biggest challenges. The construction of this unit will provide enough space for mothers and promote skin-to-skin (kangaroo mother) care,” said Dr Obwanda.

The hospital’s Board Chair, Dr Dorcus Kemunto, emphasised that the project will not only reduce congestion but also restore dignity to mothers and newborns through a zero-separation approach.

“Access to maternal health remains a challenge for many families, especially in densely populated, low-income areas where infrastructure is limited. This project directly addresses those gaps by prioritising maternal and child health,” said Dr Kemunto.

The new unit is being developed in partnership with Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies (NEST360) — an initiative aimed at improving newborn survival across Africa.

NEST360 Chairperson, Prof. William Macharia, revealed that Mama Lucy Hospital received the largest allocation of Ksh.24 million from the Ksh.190 million fund set aside to expand and equip newborn units in health facilities across Kenya.

“Mama Lucy Hospital received the largest share of our national allocation because of its high patient volumes and strategic importance. This unit will help ease congestion and reduce the risk of infections,” said Prof. Macharia.

The initiative is part of the Nairobi County Government’s administration’s health sector transformation agenda, which identifies maternal and child health as a key priority. Under the current administration led by Governor Johnson Sakaja, Nairobi’s Level 5 hospitals have been placed under the management of CEOs to improve efficiency a model now being replicated in Level 4 hospitals across the county.