This article highlights the maternal death of Phyllis Wanjiru, a young Kenyan mother who passed away after developing complications from a caesarean section delivery. This is story ten in the Wanjiku Kumbukumbu series by Mummy Tales, an initiative that is documenting maternal deaths in Kenya.
By Maryanne W. Waweru l maryanne@mummytales.com
Every day, 13 women in Kenya lose their lives to pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. Each day, 13 families are left grieving the loss of a loved one who died while bringing new life into the world. One such family is that of 33-year-old Phyllis Wanjiru, who tragically passed away on 10 September 2025 from childbirth complications.
According to her husband, Joseph Wanyonyi, Phyllis developed complications after undergoing a caesarean section at St. Teresa Hospital in Kikuyu, Kiambu County. He says that while his wife successfully delivered their beautiful baby girl, she began bleeding heavily after the surgery, an emergency situation that necessitated her transfer to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
Sadly, Phyllis did not survive. She had lost too much blood.
A postmortem conducted on 15 September 2025 revealed that Phyllis died from excessive bleeding. She suffered postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) -severe blood loss after childbirth. PPH is the leading cause of maternal deaths in Kenya. Sadly, most PPH-related deaths are preventable.
Wanyonyi has since accused St. Teresa Hospital, Kikuyu of alleged medical negligence. He believes his wife’s death could have been prevented. The matter is now under investigation.
Deaths from caesarean sections in Kenya
Phyllis’s story is not an isolated tragedy. Just two weeks ago, Faith Binzali, 26, similarly died from caesarean section complications at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Health Center in Kangemi, Nairobi County. Postmortem results revealed that Faith died from hypoxia (lack of oxygen), likely caused by the anaesthetic drug administered on her.
The deaths of these two young mothers are a sad, stark reminder of the urgent need to strengthen maternal healthcare systems in Kenya. This, in a bid to ensure that no woman dies while giving life, and that no family has to endure such heartbreak.
The unfortunate death of Phyllis is the tenth account in the Wanjiku Kumbukumbu series by Mummy Tales, an initiative that is focused on documenting maternal deaths in Kenya to raise awareness about the issue and advocate for better maternal health. The project aims to memorialize Kenyan mothers we have lost to childbirth complications.
Read more Wanjiku Kumbukumbu articles:
- Faith Binzali’s death from caesarean section gone wrong
- Mumbi’s death from retained placenta complications
- Barbara Mkok’s passing from pre-eclampsia complications
- Stella Mtira Wangama’s death from post-caesarean section complications
- Magdalene Njoki Mburu’s passing from uterine rupture complications
- Mwalimu Immaculate Akinyi Kirui’s death from childbirth complications after delivering quadruplets
- Elizabeth Wairimu’s death from pulmonary embolism at age 27
- Phanice Kerubo, 27, dies from childbirth complications
- Vanessa Wanjiku’s death while giving life
If you would like to share information about a mother who has lost her life due to maternal health complications in 2025, or if you would like to support the Wanjiku Kumbukumbu project by Mummy Tales, please reach me at maryanne@mummytales.com
Mummy Tales by Maryanne W. Waweru is a platform dedicated to empowering its readers on different aspects of womanhood and motherhood. Read more motherhood experiences of Kenyan moms here. Connect with Mummy Tales on: FACEBOOK l YOU TUBE l TWITTER
