Likuyani Digest | Ground Reality
Barasa Anataka Wazae, Lakini Mama na Watoto Wanakufa Kakamega
Latest Ministry of Health data has placed Kakamega among the 10 counties with the highest cumulative maternal, neonatal and perinatal deaths.
By the end of August, Kenya had recorded 3,854 perinatal deaths and 566 maternal deaths nationally. Kakamega appears on the list of counties carrying a heavy burden of these deaths.
This comes shortly after Governor Fernandes Barasa remarked while in Likuyani that he found the maternity wing empty, suggesting either the youth were not taking responsibility or women had gone on family planning.
In one recent case in Lugari, a woman who was seven months pregnant only discovered that the foetus had died three months earlier after she started experiencing increased pain and went to hospital. Family members said nurses at the clinic she had been attending never detected or informed her of the problem during earlier visits.
The contrast between the Governor’s remark and the national data has left many residents questioning the real state of maternal health services in the county.
Questions on the ground:
Why is Kakamega still among the counties where mothers and babies face higher risk of death?
How thorough is antenatal care in public clinics across Lugari, Likuyani and the wider county?
Was the Governor’s joke about an empty maternity wing a reflection of deeper service delivery gaps?
What concrete actions is the county taking to reduce these deaths?
Residents are demanding better monitoring, accountability and quality care for expectant mothers.
Stay informed. Stay ahead.
#LikuyaniDigest #GroundReality #MaternalHealth #Barasa #Kakamega
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