The Shina Foundation, led by former Makueni First Lady Nazi Kivutha, has emerged as a driving force behind the Gates Foundation-backed Okoa Mama na Mtoto Initiative (OMMI). This initiative, spearheaded by the International Centre for Reproductive Health–Kenya (ICRH-K), seeks to transform maternal and child health across Kenya’s most vulnerable counties.
OMMI, currently in its three-year pilot phase, targets twelve high-risk regions, with Kilifi County among the top priorities. This week, Nazi Kivutha joined Kilifi’s leadership including the Governor, County Assembly Speaker, Women’s Representative, Senator, and Commissioner to mobilize support for community-based solutions in sub-counties like Rabai, Ganze, and Kilifi South.
The urgency is undeniable. Globally, an estimated 295,000 women die annually from childbirth-related complications, while 2.5 million newborns do not survive their first day. Kenya’s neonatal mortality rate stands at 21 per 1,000 live births, well above the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 12. The country remains off track to meet this 2030 benchmark.
The Shina Foundation is working in tandem with health institutions, civil society, and grassroots organisations including the Ministry of Health (MoH), Ushiriki Wema, Lwala Community Alliance, KMTC, and the Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society (KOGS). Together, these partners are crafting region-specific action plans focusing on skilled birth attendance, nutrition, antenatal care, and neonatal support services.
“Transforming care for mothers and babies demands more than intervention; it requires lasting change,” said Kivutha. Her words echo the vision of a sustainable, women-led, community-driven approach that places families at the center of the solution.
With OMMI, Kenya has a promising opportunity to accelerate progress and ensure that no mother or child dies from preventable causes. As the initiative gains traction, Shina Foundation’s leadership offers both a lifeline and a model for holistic, locally rooted health reform.
Will this grassroots momentum be enough to shift the tide in Kenya’s maternal and infant health crisis? The next three years will be critical.
