Kenyan Woman Gives Birth to Five Babies After Scan Detected Four
A 28-year-old Kenyan woman has given birth to five babies — four girls and a boy — at Thika Level Five Hospital in Kiambu County, central Kenya.
The mother, Mercy Kanini, delivered the quintuplets normally on September 13, 2026, without undergoing surgery, according to Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi, who announced the birth on Monday.
The delivery is considered unusual because multiple births involving five babies are rare and often require specialised medical care.
Kanini said the birth of the fifth child came as a surprise because a pregnancy scan had detected only four babies.
“I was expecting four, but the fifth one came as a surprise,” Kanini said, according to the governor’s account.
The five newborns — four girls and one boy — are being monitored by medical professionals at the hospital.
The governor congratulated Kanini and praised the medical team involved in the delivery, describing the birth as a remarkable event for the county.
Multiple pregnancies carry increased health risks for both mothers and babies, including premature birth and low birth weight, and typically require close medical monitoring before and after delivery.
The birth has drawn attention across Kenya because of the unusual circumstances surrounding the delivery, particularly the fact that Kanini gave birth to five babies without the need for a caesarean section.
