136 infant deaths in Kiambu a national tragedy – Maraga
By David Nthua, October 3, 2025Former Chief Justice David Kenani Maraga has come out guns blazing to condemn the situation in Kiambu’s healthcare after a disturbing report by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union on infant deaths.
Through his X handle on Friday, October 3, 2025, Maraga likened the loss of 136 newborn lives in four months to what he described as a national tragedy.
Also watch: Kiambu dismisses claims of doctors’ strike paralysing health services
Healthcare system under strain
Maraga said the deaths which occurred during the ongoing doctors’ strike in Kiambu cannot be ignored. He described the situation as unconscionable, noting that parents were being forced to mourn due to a broken health system.
“It is unconscionable that on the 127th day of the Kiambu doctors’ strike, at least 136 newborns have lost their lives in our public hospitals. Let that sink in,” Maraga stated.
He faulted the government for failing to uphold the promises contained in the 2010 Constitution, which guarantees dignity and the right to the highest attainable standard of health.
According to him, patients are being met with silent bureaucracy and collapsed services.
“This is not just a failure of Kiambu County leadership. It is a regime failure right from the national level,” he said.
Call for compassionate politics
The former Chief Justice also took issue with the way the Social Health Authority has been implemented, arguing that it has added inefficiencies rather than improved access to healthcare.
“The so-called managed healthcare system is anything but managed. Instead of saving lives, SHA has become another layer of inefficiency and political talk detached from the suffering on the ground,” he said.
Maraga went on to stress that Kenyans are angry and justifiably so when a child dies every day as a result of political failure.
“We are angry because a child dying daily as a result of political failure is unacceptable. This government is incapable of guaranteeing the most basic right, the right to life,” he declared.
He concluded by urging for a reset in leadership, saying Kenya must return to the politics of compassion that honour the dignity of citizens as envisioned by the Constitution.