Former Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko has once again captured public attention with an act of generosity, clearing hospital bills worth KSh1.6 million for more than 100 mothers who had been detained at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital in Nairobi over unpaid maternity fees.
According to reports, dozens of women — some with newborns just days old — had been stranded at the facility for weeks, unable to leave after delivery because they could not afford to settle their medical costs.
At around 3 a.m. on Sunday night, Sonko arrived unannounced at the hospital, wearing a hood to conceal his identity. Inside the overcrowded maternity ward, he found women lying two to a bed, some clutching their infants wrapped in thin sheets as they waited for a solution.
“I saw the story on TV about mothers being detained for unpaid bills. Later, a doctor named Mbole called me and asked if I could intervene. I waited two days to see if the situation would be resolved, but nothing changed — so I came personally to help,” Sonko told reporters.
The former governor personally asked each woman to list her pending bill, which ranged from KSh5,000 to over KSh100,000, before depositing KSh1.6 million directly into the hospital’s Equity Bank account.
“Many of these women didn’t have National Health Insurance (SHA) cards. Unfortunately, you can’t get covered retroactively — you have to be registered before delivery. No mother should be detained after bringing life into the world,” Sonko said.
He faulted both the hospital management and the Nairobi County Government for failing to assist expectant mothers in registering for the Social Health Authority (SHA) coverage before delivery, saying the burden should fall on government institutions, not vulnerable women.
“It’s true there are no free services in hospitals, but we understand the tough economic times we’re in. Compassion must lead governance. The County should have established a desk to make SHA registration mandatory before admission. That would have prevented this,” he added.
Women’s rights groups and community activists had been protesting outside Mama Lucy Hospital for days, demanding that detained mothers be released. Some women were reportedly sharing beds with their infants, prompting widespread outrage online.
“The situation had become unbearable,” one activist told Mulembe Times. “Some mothers had been sleeping on the floor. We had been pleading for help — and finally, Sonko answered that call.”
Sonko said he is also providing transport and shopping for the mothers and their babies, organizing four minibuses to ferry them home. By noon on Monday, most of the women had already been discharged, many seen smiling and shedding tears of relief as they left the hospital with their newborns.
For the mothers finally walking out of the hospital, it was more than financial freedom — it was the restoration of dignity, hope, and humanity.
