I was born premature: Sakaja opens up about childhood health challenges
By Katemarthason Okudo, August 19, 2026Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has opened up about his difficult start in life, revealing that he was born prematurely after his mother had already lost three children.
Speaking during the National Health Summit 2026 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Wednesday, August 19, Sakaja shared his family’s emotional journey while addressing a session on excellence in maternal, newborn and referral care.
The governor used his personal story to highlight the importance of investing in healthcare, especially services that support mothers and newborn babies. According to Sakaja, his mother’s pregnancy journey was filled with challenges long before he was born.
Sakaja recalls his mother’s pregnancy struggles
While addressing healthcare professionals and stakeholders at the summit, Sakaja revealed that his mother had experienced three pregnancy losses before giving birth to his eldest sister.
He explained that doctors had warned his parents that having more children would be risky because of the complications she had experienced. “My late mother had lost three children before my eldest sister was born. She had difficulty with pregnancy, so the first three died,” Sakaja said.
According to him, doctors advised his mother that she could safely have only two children. However, his parents still hoped to expand their family.
“After she gave birth to my eldest sister, she was told she could only have two children,” he explained.
His premature birth required specialised care
Sakaja said he was eventually born prematurely, creating another challenge for the family.
He recalled that access to specialised medical equipment in the 1980s was limited, making the situation even more difficult. “I was born premature, and in the 1980s, I think it was very difficult to get an incubator,” he said.
Because of the shortage of equipment, he had to be transferred to another healthcare facility. “And so, because of that, I had to be taken to a different facility. I stayed in an incubator for a long time, and now I’m here. I survived,” he added.
Personal experience influenced healthcare reforms
Sakaja said his experience later influenced some of the decisions he made after becoming Nairobi governor. He revealed that one of the biggest surprises he encountered after taking office was learning that the city did not have a single neonatal intensive care unit.
“When I became governor, I realised that Nairobi had no neonatal ICUs at all. I said this story must change,” he explained. According to him, the county has invested heavily in expanding maternal and newborn healthcare services.
Giving hope to parents
The governor said he often shares his story with mothers whose babies are born prematurely to encourage them not to lose hope. “I encourage mothers. I tell them, ‘Don’t worry. If your child is born small, even me, I was born small. Your child can become a governor, a lawyer or a doctor,'” Sakaja said.
He added that Nairobi currently has 23 neonatal ICU beds and 224 newborn unit beds, compared with none before his administration. Sakaja also revealed that healthcare facilities, including Pumwani, Bagathi, Mama Margaret and Mama Lucy hospitals, have continued to expand their maternity services.
He noted that Pumwani, which was once associated with negative headlines, has now recorded zero maternal deaths, describing the achievement as an important milestone in improving maternal and newborn care in Nairobi.