Ruto reveals he gets daily 11 pm update on women giving birth across Kenya
By Paulette Mboga, September 12, 2026President William Ruto has revealed that he receives a report on his phone every evening at 11 pm showing the number of women who have given birth in Kenya.
Ruto said the report also shows how many women survived childbirth, how many did not survive and the number of newborns who died. He explained that the information helps the government understand the situation in the country and identify areas that need action.
“Every evening at 11 pm, I receive a report on my phone of how many women have given birth in Kenya. Every evening,” President William Ruto said.
Ruto made the remarks while speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony for Chebunyo Mother and Child Hospital in Bomet County on Saturday, September 12, 2026. He said the reports provide information that can be used to understand the state of healthcare across the country.
“And how many women survived, how many did not survive and how many newborns did not survive,” Ruto said.
The President said the use of statistics was important in understanding the number of people receiving services in health facilities. He noted that some people question the statistics given by the government, including figures on registered people and the number of facilities.
Using numbers to plan healthcare
Ruto explained that the government uses the information to know where the country stands and what needs to be done. He said Kenya previously relied on guesswork when dealing with such information.
“I see some people question us about statistics. While we are saying we have so many people registered. Why we are saying there are so many facilities, why we are saying the president receives numbers every evening,” Ruto said.
The President said having accurate numbers helps the government make decisions based on the situation reported from health facilities. He explained that the information gives the government a clearer picture of the services being provided.
“It is because numbers help us to know where we are and what needs to be done. In the past we were using guesswork,” Ruto said.
Ruto also spoke about payments made to health facilities through the Social Health Authority. He said the government sends money to facilities every month based on the people they attend to.