Video: Sakaja shares how mum lost 3 pregnancies before he was born prematurely
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja made a surprising personal disclosure while addressing the Kenya Health Summit 2026 on August 19
- Sakaja revealed his late mother struggled with multiple pregnancy losses before he was eventually born prematurely and placed in an incubator
- The governor connected his personal story to his push for expanded neonatal care in Nairobi, sparking a flood of reactions online
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja left delegates at the Kenya Health Summit 2026 stunned after stepping away from policy figures to share a deeply personal family story that has since gone viral.
Speaking on 19 August at what was otherwise a formal health policy summit, Sakaja explained that his late mother lost three babies before his eldest sibling was born.
After those losses, doctors reportedly told her she could only safely carry two more children. She went on to have two daughters before Sakaja himself arrived as a third pregnancy his family was warned against.
Sakaja was born prematurely, spent time in an incubator
The governor disclosed that he was born prematurely and, due to the difficulty of accessing neonatal care in Kenya in the 1980s, spent an extended period in an incubator.
He admitted he had to be transferred to a different facility to receive that care, a reality that stuck with him long after childhood.
"And here I am, by the way. I didn't die. I survived," he told the audience to audible reactions in the room.
He said the memory shaped one of his earliest priorities after taking office. When he discovered that Nairobi had zero neonatal intensive care unit beds at the county level, he made it his mission to change that.
The county now has 23 NICU beds and 224 newborn unit beds, up from nothing when he assumed the governorship.
To illustrate the difference those units make, Sakaja pointed to a baby girl named Nancy Kirobo who had been present at the summit, describing her as a direct beneficiary of the NICU established at Mbagathi Hospital.
He also shared that in July 2026, a baby weighing just 650 grammes was received and survived at the same facility.
Watch the video below:
Kenyans react to the governor's disclosure
Sakaja's remarks did not land without pushback. While some appreciated the emotional candour, many Kenyans online were quick to separate the personal story from the political context.
@F M Wuon Grace said:
"Kutupima bongo, iliisha kitambo sana."
@Wellington Kibiku said:
"Hizi masympathy votes mnatafuta tushawajua, we know those cases that are genuine."
@Frederick Omondi said:
"Was it our fault??"
@Freddy said:
"You survived, and you will in the next election, hii sii an incubator!"
@Senior Graphic Designers said:
"Was the last part necessary? Seeing you is an indicator that you survived."
@Sur Bran said:
"Oooh sasa tuanze kuona huruma sindio😂😂😂😂 fanya kazi yako nani."
@Seba Whites said:
"No sympathy votes. Afanye kazi."
Despite the mixed reactions, Sakaja used the moment to urge all 47 county governors to treat the Kenyan government's "Every Woman, Every Newborn, Everywhere" initiative as a binding national commitment, not just a slogan.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.