A 28-year-old mother from Juja, Kiambu County, is mourning the loss of all five babies she delivered in a rare quintuplet birth at Thika Level Five Hospital.
Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) confirmed the deaths of the five newborns on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. The babies had been transferred to KNH for specialised neonatal care shortly after birth.
Babies Were Born at 25 Weeks
According to KNH, the quintuplets were born at an extremely premature gestational age of 25 weeks. They also had critically low birth weights, ranging between approximately 630 and 800 grammes.
The combination presented significant medical challenges requiring specialised newborn care. The five babies comprised four girls and one boy.
Earlier reports indicated that the mother had initially expected four babies, based on prenatal scans. However, she delivered five babies through spontaneous vaginal delivery at Thika Level Five Hospital.
Babies Transferred to KNH
Following the delivery, the newborns were transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital for specialised neonatal intensive care because of their extreme prematurity and very low birth weights.
KNH said a multidisciplinary neonatal team, including neonatologists, nurses and allied health professionals, provided specialised care and made efforts to support the infants.
Four of the babies died shortly after birth, according to earlier reports. The fifth baby remained under specialised care for longer before also passing away. KNH subsequently confirmed that all five newborns had died.
The tragedy has brought renewed attention to the serious medical challenges faced by babies born extremely prematurely, particularly those with very low birth weights.
The family is now mourning the loss of all five newborns following what had initially been a moment of celebration after the rare birth.
