For many Kenyan mothers, breastfeeding in public is still met with side-eyes, whispered judgment, or even being told to “cover up.” But a growing number of health experts are saying it’s time that changed.
During a special broadcast on World Breastfeeding Week, panelists with Kenya Red Cross Society joined forces with Switch TV to shine a spotlight on the challenges mothers face and the urgent need to build better support systems.
Themed “Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems,” the live event, which aired on 1st August 2025 on Switch TV Live with, Clementina Ngina, a public health and nutrition consultant, Linnet Achieng, Health Programme Manager at the Kenya Red Cross Society and Caroline Nabukanda Mola, a maternal and child nutrition specialist brought together leading voices in maternal and child health.
In Kenya, breastfeeding is widely encouraged as the healthiest way to nourish infants, yet public breastfeeding remains a sensitive issue. Despite national health policies promoting exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, many mothers face stigma and discomfort when feeding their babies in public. The societal expectation for women to be discreet or hide away while breastfeeding often forces them into unsafe or unsanitary spaces, such as public toilets or secluded corners, which undermines both their dignity and the health of their children.
Cultural taboos and a lack of awareness continue to fuel negative attitudes toward public breastfeeding. Some members of the public view it as indecent, while others fail to recognize it as a natural, necessary act. Mothers should not be made to feel ashamed for feeding their babies. Normalizing breastfeeding in public is not just about comfort but it’s about protecting children’s health and women’s rights. The silence around the issue has highlighted the lack of designated lactation rooms in workplaces, markets and public transport.
Kenya Red Cross Society across is stepping up efforts to change this narrative. The show aired on Switch TV Live on Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems targets creating awareness campaigns, training the community health workers and lobbying for breastfeeding-friendly public spaces. Red Cross Kenya is working to create a supportive environment for lactating mothers. As Kenya continues to push for better maternal and child health outcomes, public breastfeeding must be recognized not only as a right but also as a vital step toward healthier families and communities.
The show highlighted that Breastfeeding is not just a mother’s responsibility, but a shared social duty. Society shaming women for feeding their babies in public, is discouraging something essential and natural.
Many mothers especially in urban settings struggle to find safe, private spaces to breastfeed. the government should instead try and create environments where mothers feel free, supported and safe to nurse their children, wherever they are.
According to the World Health Organization, breast milk provides all the energy and nutrients an infant need in the first six months of life. Yet many mothers stop earlier due to social pressure or lack of support.
Another problem highlighted is how society has sexualized women’s bodies. Society has forgotten the primary purpose of breasts, and until it changes the way it views women and motherhood, the stigma will continue.
Kenya has made progress in promoting exclusive breastfeeding, but gaps remain especially in workplaces, public spaces and rural areas. Rarely do some malls and offices offer lactation rooms, these are far from the norm. Breastfeeding in public should not be a privilege. It’s a right that every woman should have.
World Breastfeeding Week with Kenya Red Cross Society show of Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems marked a powerful reminder: nourishing a child shouldn’t be a private act of courage. It should be public, accepted and proudly supported. Viewers who tuned in were encouraged to join ongoing conversations online and support policy changes that protect breastfeeding mothers, such as paid maternity leave, flexible working hours and public breastfeeding-friendly spaces.
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