Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Ouma Oluga, has challenged health leaders and development partners to move beyond pledges and conferences, insisting that only concrete action will reduce the country’s persistently high maternal death rates.
Call for Practical Steps
Speaking on Monday, February 23, 2026, during the inauguration of the National Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) Steering Committee, Oluga emphasized that Kenya has held similar discussions for years with limited impact.
“We have done this a number of times for the last 10 years… The only thing that has not changed is the graph of how many women are dying,” he said.
The committee, inaugurated by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, will oversee review, reporting, and response mechanisms around maternal and newborn deaths.
Accountability at Facility Level
Oluga urged stakeholders to prioritize accountability at the facility level what he termed “human intervention” alongside policies, financing, and equipment. He recalled his experience at Pumwani Maternity Hospital, where requiring senior clinicians to sign patient files fostered responsibility and contributed to a year without maternal deaths up to July 2022.
He also raised concerns about gaps in reporting, stressing that counties must submit maternal and perinatal death surveillance reports promptly to enable corrective action.
Leveraging Technology
Oluga noted that Kenya already has digital systems capable of tracking deaths and linking them to specific facilities and care teams. He cited a recent visit to Bomet, where officials accessed facility-level information in real time. However, he cautioned that technology must be matched with decisive action on the ground.
Push for Results
Echoing President William Ruto’s call for measurable progress, Oluga insisted that the latest initiative must deliver tangible results rather than speeches.
“Let’s not give the President stories. Let’s give the President results,” he said.
Conclusion
Oluga’s remarks highlight the urgency of moving beyond rhetoric to implement practical, accountable measures that save lives. The newly inaugurated MPDSR Steering Committee now faces the challenge of ensuring Kenya’s maternal health commitments translate into real impact for mothers and newborns.
