“Mothers and Consumers Are Unsafe”: Sen. Kibwana Pressures Government on ICU and Oil Standards

Senate Chamber
Tuesday, 2nd December 2025

Nominated Senator Hamida Kibwana has raised urgent concerns in the Senate over two critical public-health issues: the lack of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Pumwani Maternity Hospital and the safety of cooking oils consumed across the country.
Speaking while seeking a statement from the Standing Committee on Health, Sen. Kibwana described the situation at Pumwani as “a silent emergency affecting thousands of mothers and newborns every year.” She noted that Pumwani, the largest maternity referral hospital in East and Central Africa, handles high-risk pregnancies yet lacks an on-site ICU.
“Clinicians are forced to transfer unstable patients across Nairobi because there is no ICU at Pumwani. Every minute of delay puts mothers and babies at deadly risk. This is unacceptable in 2025,” she said. The Senator demanded clarity on why the facility still lacks a fully functional ICU, the short-term safeguards currently in place, and timelines for establishing the much-needed unit.
Separately, Sen. Kibwana sought answers from the Committee on Trade, Industrialization and Tourism regarding the quality and safety of cooking oils sold in Kenya. She warned that consumers may unknowingly be exposed to harmful fats and inadequately processed oils.
“Kenyans deserve to know what they are eating. If oils are adulterated, hydrogenated, or contain dangerous trans fats, then we are poisoning our own population in the name of food,” she told the Senate. She urged KEBS to strengthen labelling rules, intensify regular testing, and align Kenya with WHO guidelines limiting industrial trans fats.
The Senator further called for national awareness campaigns on healthy oils targeting households, schools, manufacturers, hotels, and street-food vendors.