Husband blames negligence in death of wife during childbirth in Kikuyu

Thirty-two-year-old Philice Wanjiru died on September 9, 2025, after undergoing a cesarean section at the facility.

Her husband, Dennis Wanyonyi, says the operation was initially declared successful, and the couple welcomed their newborn. However, moments later, Wanjiru developed severe complications linked to excessive blood loss.

“She called me saying doctors wanted her back in theatre,” Wanyonyi recalled. “Later she was referred to Kenyatta National Hospital and admitted to ICU, but she did not make it.”

Wanyonyi further alleges that when his wife was transferred to KNH, doctors there questioned the procedures carried out at St. Teresa’s, leading to tense exchanges between the two medical teams.

The grieving father of four described the experience as devastating, adding that his attempts to seek justice have been frustrating. “When I reported the matter, I was sent back and forth between Kikuyu Police Station and the police post at KNH,” he said.

He is now appealing to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) to investigate the matter and take action against those found culpable.

This incident marks the second maternal death in less than two weeks in Nairobi’s environs of Uthiru and Kikuyu, both linked to complicated cesarean sections at local health facilities. The cases have raised fresh concerns about the quality and safety of maternal care in the region.

Efforts to obtain a response from St. Teresa’s Maternity and Nursing Home were unsuccessful, as no representative was available for comment.