Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale/X
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale drew laughter at the Kenya Health Summit after joking about Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s account of being born prematurely.
Speaking on the second day of the summit at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Duale referred to Sakaja’s experience while discussing complications that can affect mothers and newborns.
“And Your Excellency, Mama Rachel, a woman may develop very severe bleeding; she might have high blood pressure or even an infection while a newborn may be born prematurely like Governor Sakaja,” Duale said. The remark prompted laughter from people in the crowd, with Sakaja also laughing.
Duale then turned the governor’s account of his premature birth into a light-hearted moment, joking about Sakaja’s physical size.
“And now you know if he tells you he was born prematurely from his body size, you ask whether his story adds up....” Duale said, drawing more laughter.
He then used his hands to illustrate the size of a small person as he continued speaking, prompting further laughter from the audience.
“...but I expected him to be......” Duale said before the laughter continued.
Duale, however, quickly returned to the seriousness of premature birth, noting that babies born prematurely can survive and go on to achieve great things.
“But those who are watching us, premature birth is real and can produce a very strong, well-beloved governor like Governor Sakaja, so there is light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
His remarks came shortly after Sakaja shared his own experience as a premature baby and explained why maternal and newborn healthcare has become a personal issue for him.
Sakaja said his mother had lost three children before giving birth to his eldest sister. He said doctors later advised her to have only two children because of pregnancy complications.
He said he was eventually born prematurely and spent a long time in an incubator.
“I was born premature, and in the 80s, I think it was very difficult to get an incubator,” Sakaja said.
The governor said the experience has influenced his approach to maternal and newborn healthcare in Nairobi.
He said that when he became governor, he learnt that Nairobi had no neonatal intensive care units.
“I said this story must change,” Sakaja said.
He said the county has since expanded neonatal care, including establishing neonatal ICU beds and increasing newborn unit capacity.
Duale’s light-hearted remarks provided a moment of laughter at the summit while highlighting the message that premature babies can survive and thrive.
