Two Nairobi sisters who entered the world sharing a body are now thriving as independent 12-year-olds, a decade after a landmark medical procedure in Kenya.
Blessing and Favor Karimi were born on September 4, 2014, joined at the lower back with shared pelvic structures, including one opening for passing stool.
Because their internal organs needed time to mature and their muscles required adequate strength, surgeons at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) spent roughly two and a half years preparing before they could safely operate. During that period, doctors conducted close to a year of detailed anatomical investigations to map exactly what lay ahead.
The Surgery That Made History
On November 1, 2016, a multidisciplinary team of approximately 60 specialists, among them paediatric surgeons, neurosurgeons, and plastic and reconstructive surgeons, began the procedure.
It ran for 23 hours and was completed successfully. The operation was the first of its kind in Kenya and one of the first in sub-Saharan Africa.
Because they were barely two years old at the time, neither girl retains any personal memory of life as conjoined twins. Seeing childhood photographs came as a surprise to both of them.
“We thank the Almighty God for separating both of us. We are so glad and happy that God gave us a chance to live,” the girls said.
Their mother, Caroline Mukiri, says the sisters have grown into their own distinct characters while remaining closely connected. Favour is left-handed and Blessing is right-handed.
One is drawn to English for the communication skills it builds; the other favours science and its links to technology. Both are enthusiastic about learning French and Chinese, with one already able to speak a little of each. Outside school, the girls enjoy swimming, skating, singing, chess and painting.
Caroline says the twins can often sense when the other is struggling, a bond she finds remarkable. She describes how they hug and kiss her daily, adding that their affection makes every challenge of raising them worthwhile.
The sisters, in turn, credit their mother with grounding them in faith. They recalled how Caroline regularly reads Bible verses to them and encourages them to live by Christian values, adding that they sometimes laugh before thanking her for her gentle corrections.
Dreams of Becoming Surgeons
Perhaps the most striking detail in Blessing and Favor’s story is what they want to do with their futures.
Having lived through a 23-hour operation performed by specialists they had never met, both girls say they want to become surgeons. One explained that the experience inspired her to help others facing serious medical challenges. The sisters also said they hope to pray with their patients before treating them.
Caroline remains hopeful about the road ahead, though she acknowledged that the twins still require additional reconstructive surgeries.
She has appealed to hospitals that can help with these remaining procedures.
A decade on, Blessing and Favor’s journey from conjoined babies to two healthy schoolgirls with big ambitions stands as a testament to medical skill, family resilience and, as their mother would say, the grace of God.
