Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan (left) and Tessie Musalia, spouse of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Chair of the Ushiriki Wema Foundation, carry eight-month-old twin girls, Nova Gathoni and Oliver Wanjiku, born prematurely to Lilian Wachuka (centre). The twins survived after receiving care in neonatal incubators at Nyeri County Referral Hospital.
By Peace Muthoka
NYERI, Kenya, November 14, 2026 – More premature babies across Kenya are set to benefit from improved newborn care following the completion of the final phase of the Okoa Malaika programme, which has distributed 92 neonatal incubators to 49 public health facilities in 44 counties over the past three years.
The programme marked the milestone on Saturday at Nyeri County Referral Hospital, where six counties in the Central region received neonatal equipment to strengthen their capacity to care for premature and vulnerable newborns.
The six beneficiary counties are Nyeri, Laikipia, Nyandarua, Kirinyaga, Kiambu and Murang’a, marking the completion of Strategic Plan A, which focused on distributing incubators and other essential neonatal equipment to public hospitals.
Launched on November 17, 2023, Okoa Malaika is jointly implemented by the Mudavadi Memorial Foundation Trust Fund and Ushiriki Wema Foundation. It seeks to improve the survival of premature babies by equipping hospitals with essential medical equipment and strengthening newborn care services.
Speaking during the event,Tessie Musalia, spouse of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Chair of the Ushiriki Wema Foundation said the completion of the final phase was a major milestone in the foundation’s efforts to support mothers and newborns, noting that the programme had reached 44 counties through 10 successive phases.
She said the initiative was part of broader efforts to reduce preventable newborn deaths and improve access to quality maternal and newborn healthcare, particularly in public health facilities.
“Prematurity is not just a medical issue; it is also a family, community and public health concern,” she said, calling for collective efforts to ensure that premature babies receive timely and specialised medical attention.
Beyond equipment distribution, she highlighted the foundation’s contribution to maternal and newborn health policy development and advocacy, including its involvement in the National Obstetrics Point-of-Care Ultrasound (O-POCUS) Guidelines launched in November 2024 and the Kenya Every Woman, Every Newborn, Everywhere (EWENE) Acceleration Plan for 2026–2028, launched in May this year.
The foundation has also supported the integration of O-POCUS competencies into pre-service training for radiography, nursing and clinical medicine at the Kenya Medical Training College. It is further involved in developing the Bungoma County EWENE Acceleration Plan for 2027–2029.
She urged healthcare providers and communities to strengthen antenatal care and ensure early identification of pregnancy complications, saying these interventions could help reduce risks associated with premature births.
She also emphasised the importance of educating expectant mothers on attending antenatal clinics, recognising pregnancy danger signs and seeking medical attention promptly. In addition, she called for greater promotion of Kangaroo Mother Care, breastfeeding, proper nutrition and emotional support for families caring for premature babies.
Chinese Ambassador Guo Haiyan commended the initiative for bringing together different partners to improve the health and survival of vulnerable newborns.
Guo said the Chinese Embassy had supported Okoa Malaika for three consecutive years, describing the partnership as a reflection of the growing friendship between Kenya and China.
“An incubator protects a tiny life, while a set of medical equipment sustains the hope of a family. What this equipment represents is not only progress in medical technology, but also our respect and care for life,” she said.
She noted that China continued to support Kenya’s healthcare development through partnerships that include assistance in the construction of medical facilities and trilateral cooperation involving UNICEF and Kenya.
Guo added that improving maternal and child health remained an important priority for China, stressing that every newborn deserved an opportunity to survive and enjoy a healthy future.
Okoa Malaika Brand Ambassador Njoki Mambo said the programme’s three-year journey represented hope, compassion and collective action towards improving newborn survival in Kenya.
She noted that this year’s World Prematurity Day theme, “Small babies, big potential. Invest in follow-up care to protect their future!”, highlights the need to maintain medical support even after premature babies leave newborn care units.
Mambo said continued medical assessments, follow-up care and family support were essential in helping premature babies grow and achieve their full potential.
She also recognised the dedication of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers, saying their skills and commitment remained central to turning the donated equipment into lifesaving care.
As the programme celebrates three years, stakeholders urged continued investment in maternal and newborn healthcare, stronger partnerships and improved services to ensure that premature babies are not denied the opportunity to survive, grow and thrive.
World Prematurity Day is observed globally on November 17 to raise awareness about premature births, their health risks and the need for better care and support for affected families. The November 14 event brought together stakeholders ahead of this year’s global commemoration.
