• Kenyatta National Hospital confirmed the deaths of five quintuplets who were referred from Thika Level Five Hospital for specialised care
  • The babies were born at only 25 weeks gestational age and arrived at KNH with critically low birth weights
  • Five multidisciplinary neonatal team worked to save the newborns despite the severe conditions they faced at birth

The quintuplets referred to Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi for specialised care have all died, the facility confirmed in an official statement on September 16, 2026.

The babies, born at just 25 weeks of gestational age, were transferred from Thika Level Five Hospital in critical condition. Their birth weights were described as critically low, placing them among the most vulnerable newborns a neonatal unit can receive.

Efforts to Save the Babies

KNH assembled a multidisciplinary neonatal team to manage the five infants following their arrival. Premature babies born at 25 weeks face an extremely narrow window for survival, as their lungs, immune systems and other vital organs are significantly underdeveloped at that stage of pregnancy. Full-term pregnancies typically run to 40 weeks.

Despite the intensive efforts of the medical team, none of the five newborns survived. The hospital did not specify the exact dates on which each baby passed away.

In the statement signed by Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joel Lessan, OGW, the hospital extended its condolences to the mother and the wider family.

KNH Expresses Condolences

"KNH expressed condolences to the mother and family," the statement read, acknowledging the profound grief that comes with losing five children.

The loss is a devastating blow for a family that had been navigating a high-risk multiple pregnancy. Quintuplet births are exceptionally rare and carry significant medical risks for both mother and babies, particularly when delivery occurs as early as 25 weeks.

KNH, Kenya's largest public referral hospital, regularly receives complex cases from facilities across the country that require a level of specialised care beyond what lower-tier hospitals can provide.