Pumwani left Sonko with egg on his face

The pendulum of public approval can be treacherous for populist leaders. Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko recently found this out in the calamity of Pumwani. What started as an action to expose staff negligence has left the entire management of our county health system exposed to public scrutiny.

The question is, what can the governor do next? Pregnancy, child-birth and after-care comes at great risk for most babies and their mothers. Twenty mothers still die giving life each day across Kenya. And 75 per cent of infants who don’t make it die in the first seven days. Maternal health-care is critical priority for all our 47 county governments.