One in every three medical malpractice complaints received by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) is linked to maternity care, with labour and delivery accounting for the majority of the cases, the regulator has revealed.
KMPDC Chief Executive Officer Dr David G. Kariuki said the council has cumulatively received 1,919 medical malpractice complaints, about a third of which relate to maternity services. He added that about 600 maternity-related complaints have been received in 2026 alone.
Speaking during an interview, Dr Kariuki said most maternity complaints arise during labour and delivery, where inadequate monitoring can result in poor outcomes for both mothers and babies.
"We see most cases that arise during labour and during delivery, where maybe labour is not well monitored leading to what we call a poor outcome. This is maybe when the baby is born with complications or the mother develops complications," he said.
He noted that complications during childbirth can, in severe cases result in excessive bleeding for the mother or even the death of the mother, the baby or both..Keep Reading Experts warn as C-Section rate surpasses WHO guidelines Fear and risk: How Kenyan women fight to survive in labour rooms Preventable deaths persist as 15 mothers, 92 newborns die daily Sh6.8b programme to help reduce maternal, infant deaths
