The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) has called on national and county governments to formally integrate Indigenous midwives into Kenya’s health system, arguing that their knowledge and community trust remain vital to maternal and newborn care in underserved regions.
In a statement issued on Sunday, August 9, to mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, NGEC Chairperson Rehema Jaldesa said Indigenous midwives have safeguarded the lives of mothers and babies for generations, especially where health facilities are distant and transport is unreliable.
“Indigenous midwives are custodians of community knowledge on maternal care, nutrition and medicinal practice,” the Commission said, adding that this knowledge is passed down alongside language and culture.
This year’s commemoration was held under the theme “Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Safeguarding Life and Well-being.” NGEC noted that the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census recorded a national maternal mortality ratio of 355 deaths per 100,000 live births, ranging from 67 in Nyeri to 641 in Garissa. The 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey further found that while 88 per cent of births occur in health facilities nationwide, home births remain high in several counties, including Mandera at 50 per cent, Tana River at 48 per cent, Turkana at 47 per cent, Wajir at 46 per cent and Samburu at 45 per cent.
The Commission stressed that Indigenous midwives should not replace doctors or nurses but should be linked to the formal health system through clear referral pathways, training and supervision, working alongside Community Health Promoters.
NGEC also called for expanded emergency obstetric services, outreach programmes and referral transport in nomadic and hard-to-reach areas, as well as more culturally and linguistically responsive maternity care, noting that language barriers and discrimination discourage some Indigenous women from seeking facility-based treatment.
The Commission further urged that Indigenous maternal health knowledge be documented and protected with the free, prior and informed consent of the communities involved, and that midwives and women’s representatives be included in health planning at community, county and national levels.
While commending government measures such as the Minorities and Marginalised Affairs Unit and the National Policy on Ethnic Minorities and Marginalised Communities 2025, NGEC observed that Indigenous midwives largely remain outside formal health planning and training systems, with their contributions often undocumented and unsupported.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to equality and inclusion for Indigenous Peoples, closing its statement with the call: “Usawa kwa Wote — Equality for All.”
