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Pumwani Maternity Hospital
The largest maternity hospital in Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa — handling roughly 20,000 deliveries a year, a pioneer in maternal healthcare since 1926.
👶 Maternity & Referral Hospital
📅 Founded 1926
🛏️ 354 Obstetric Beds
📋 About Pumwani Maternity Hospital
Pumwani Maternity Hospital was founded in 1926 by the Lady Grigg Welfare League, a charitable organisation, and was originally named Lady Grigg Maternity. The first permanent building was constructed in 1928, giving the hospital a bed capacity of 27, before it was taken over by the Municipal Council of Nairobi in 1944. In 1969, the late President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta presided over the opening of a newly expanded unit comprising 117 beds, an operating theatre, a 50-bed neonatal unit, an X-ray department, a laboratory, a library, and a conference room. The name “Pumwani” comes from the Swahili word meaning “to breathe” or “relax,” fitting for a mother who has just delivered a healthy baby.
Today, Pumwani is an obstetric and referral hospital for expectant mothers in Nairobi and adjoining counties, operating under the jurisdiction of Nairobi City County. With 354 obstetric beds, 144 baby cots, and multiple theatres, the hospital handles 50 to 100 normal deliveries and 10 to 15 Caesarean Sections daily, adding up to roughly 20,000 deliveries a year — making it the largest facility solely dedicated to reproductive and neonatal healthcare in Kenya and reportedly the third busiest maternity hospital on the African continent. The hospital also runs the Pumwani Maternity College of Nursing and Midwifery, which accommodates 104 students at a time, training the next generation of maternity care professionals. Since October 2024, Pumwani has fully integrated Social Health Authority (SHA) services, registering hundreds of new mothers in its first month alone under the scheme.
🏷️ Hospital Details
| Type | Public Obstetric & Referral Hospital (Nairobi City County) |
| Founded | 1926 (as Lady Grigg Maternity); County-Run Since 1944 |
| Status | Equivalent to a Provincial Hospital; Largest Maternity Hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Bed Capacity | 354 Obstetric Beds, 144 Baby Cots, 2-3 Theatres |
| Annual Deliveries | ~20,000 (50-100 Normal, 10-15 C-Section Daily) |
| Address | General Waruingi Street, Starehe Constituency, Nairobi |
| City | Nairobi, Kenya |
| Postal Address | P.O. Box 42849-00100, Nairobi, Kenya |
| CEO | Christine Kiteshuo |
| Nursing College | Pumwani Maternity College of Nursing & Midwifery (104 Student Capacity) |
| Phone | +254 778 564 272 |
| Nairobi City County Line | 0725 624 489 / 020 2224281 |
| info@pumwanimaternity.go.ke | |
| Website | pumwanimaternity.go.ke |
⚙️ Services Offered
🔵 Normal Delivery Services
🔵 Caesarean Section Surgery
🔵 Postnatal Care
🔵 Family Planning Services
🔵 Neonatal Care Unit
🔵 X-Ray & Radiology
🔵 Laboratory Services
🔵 Nursing & Midwifery Training
🔵 SHA-Registered Maternity Services
🕐 Opening Hours
| Monday | Open 24 Hours | Open |
| Tuesday | Open 24 Hours | Open |
| Wednesday | Open 24 Hours | Open |
| Thursday | Open 24 Hours | Open |
| Friday | Open 24 Hours | Open |
| Saturday | Open 24 Hours | Open |
| Sunday | Open 24 Hours | Open |
🗺️ Service Areas
📍 Nairobi County (Referral Hub)
📍 Adjoining Counties (Referral Network)
📸 Photos
Pumwani Maternity Hospital on General Waruingi Street, Starehe, Nairobi
Pumwani’s neonatal care unit — supporting some of Kenya’s most vulnerable newborns
Pumwani Maternity College of Nursing and Midwifery — training future maternity professionals
Swipe to view more photos
📍 Location & Map
📍 General Waruingi Street, Starehe, Nairobi, Kenya · Get Directions →
📬 Contact Information
| 🌐 Website | pumwanimaternity.go.ke |
| 📞 Phone | +254 778 564 272 |
| 📞 Nairobi City County | 0725 624 489 / 020 2224281 |
| info@pumwanimaternity.go.ke | |
| 📍 Address | General Waruingi Street, Starehe, P.O. Box 42849-00100, Nairobi, Kenya |
🔗 Social Media
⭐ Reviews & Ratings
Pumwani is deeply valued across Nairobi for providing accessible, affordable maternity care to a huge number of mothers each year, with recent SHA integration cited by patients as improving affordability. Given its massive daily patient volume, some mothers report longer waits and note the hospital’s High Dependency Unit and a third theatre have been affected by staffing shortages.
“I registered under SHA when I delivered here and it made a real difference in what I had to pay. The nurses were kind despite how busy the maternity ward was. So grateful this hospital exists for mothers who couldn’t otherwise afford quality delivery care.”
“Training here as a midwifery student has given me more hands-on delivery experience than most nursing students get anywhere else in the country, given the sheer volume of births each day. It’s intense but the practical exposure is unmatched.”
“Given how many mothers deliver here every day, waiting times during peak hours can be quite long, and I understand some specialist beds have been limited due to staff shortages. The doctors and nurses do their best under a lot of pressure — it’s a resourcing issue more than a care quality one.”
“Had my C-section at Pumwani and the surgical team was professional and reassuring throughout. It’s remarkable how much this one hospital does for Nairobi’s mothers — thousands of us deliver here every month.”
📝 Share Your Experience
Have you delivered at or trained through Pumwani Maternity Hospital? Rate them and leave a comment below.
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions
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