• Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is an evidence‑based, life‑saving technique for premature and low‑birth‑weight infants.

Kenya has recently stepped up efforts to reduce maternal deaths, with a renewed national plan anchored in accountability and prevention.

On February 23, 2026, Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aden Duale inaugurated the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) Steering Committee.

Its mandate is to investigate maternal and newborn deaths, identify preventable causes, and ensure corrective action across all counties.

While national oversight strengthens accountability, counties are also rolling out practical, life saving interventions at the bedside. One of the most impactful is Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC).

In Nakuru, KMC is being championed as a way to directly reduce newborn mortality, improve breastfeeding, and support healthy development, making it a vital complement to Kenya’s broader maternal health strategy.

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Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is an evidence‑based, life‑saving technique for premature and low‑birth‑weight infants.

It involves early, continuous, and prolonged skin‑to‑skin contact between the baby and a caregiver—most often the mother.

This simple practice helps regulate the baby’s body temperature, promotes breastfeeding, supports faster weight gain, and can reduce newborn mortality by up to 40 percent, according to World Health Organization (WHO) protocols.

In resource‑limited settings, KMC is recognized as one of the most effective interventions for fragile newborns, offering warmth, nutrition, and protection without the need for expensive equipment.

Nakuru’s Push for KMC

On February 10, 2026, the Nakuru County Department of Health convened nurses from Level 2, 3, 4, and 5 hospitals for a sensitization meeting on KMC.

Led by County Executive Committee Member for Health Roselyne Mungai, the initiative aims to regularize KMC in all public health facilities across the county.

Mungai emphasized that KMC reduces infections and complications, shortens hospital stays, and lowers newborn morbidity and mortality.

The rollout is part of Nakuru’s broader neonatal health strategy, which also prioritizes infection prevention and control (IPC) measures such as cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization in maternity wards.

Facilities already offering KMC include the Margaret Kenyatta Wing at Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital, Naivasha Sub‑County Hospital, Molo Sub‑County Hospital, Gilgil, and Bondeni Maternity Wings.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) research dating back to 1988 showed that babies cared for in the kangaroo position had more stable heart rates, better breathing, and required less time on artificial ventilation.

WHO underscores KMC as a proven intervention, noting its benefits for both infants and parents: stronger bonding, earlier breastfeeding, shorter hospital stays, and greater parental confidence in caring for fragile newborns.

Nakuru’s rollout reflects this global evidence, positioning KMC not just as a medical practice but as a community‑driven movement to save lives.

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