Duale orders quarterly reports on maternal deaths to boost healthcare oversight
He urged the agencies to hold regular consultative meetings with county governments to identify challenges in the sector and work collaboratively to address the root causes of maternal deaths. He added that the findings must be shared with governors and health officials to support timely interventions.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has directed all regulatory bodies under his ministry to provide quarterly reports on maternal mortality, as part of renewed efforts to improve maternal healthcare across the country.
Duale issued the directive during a joint meeting with the Council of Governors (CoG) held in Naivasha on Thursday, April 24.
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He urged the agencies to hold regular consultative meetings with county governments to identify challenges in the sector and work collaboratively to address the root causes of maternal deaths. He added that the findings must be shared with governors and health officials to support timely interventions.
“In three months, if we have a maternal mortality in a facility, let’s say a level five hospital, of 10–15 mothers, we must be concerned. The regulatory bodies must meet with the governors, inform them where the problem lies, so that the governors can also sit down with other county health heads and facility managers to determine the cause,” said Duale.
He stated that the aim is not only to reduce the maternal death rate but also to position Kenya as a regional leader in maternal health services.
The Cabinet Secretary urged health regulators to take a more hands-on approach and engage counties regularly to ensure maternal deaths are tracked, investigated, and prevented.
During the same meeting, Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki, who also chairs the CoG’s health committee, blamed some maternal deaths on negligence and poor coordination among health workers.
Njuki cited a recent case in his county where a woman died while giving birth due to what he described as a breakdown in communication between hospital departments. He said the health workers involved in the incident had since been suspended.
“Recently, we lost a mother in my county due to a failure in communication between the lab and the theatre. Emergency blood was needed for the mother, but the lab said it could not be matched in time. By the time the blood was available, the mother had died,” he said.
“The officials involved in the case are now under suspension. It is unacceptable that someone who walked in expecting to walk out with life is no longer there. The baby is now without a mother—and it was a preventable situation,” he added.
Njuki emphasised that such incidents should serve as a wake-up call for improved supervision and accountability among health workers.
The Cabinet Secretary’s new directive comes a day after he instructed the Council of Clinical Officers to carry out fresh inspections of all licensed health facilities and submit detailed reports to the Ministry of Health.
On Wednesday, Duale highlighted the importance of evidence-based regulation and transparency in the licensing and monitoring of clinical officers and their workplaces. He urged the council to take decisive steps to root out unqualified professionals.
“Do not license any clinical officer trained at an institution that has not been duly accredited, inspected, and audited by the Council,” he stated.
He said that strict oversight of clinical training institutions and healthcare facilities was essential to ensuring public safety and maintaining trust in the health sector.
Duale also noted that upholding professional standards was vital in achieving the goals of universal health coverage and building confidence in public health systems.
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