Evans, the husband of Juja mother Mercy Kanini, was seen shopping for tiny caskets after the couple lost all five of their newborn quintuplets within hours of their birth, in one of the most heartbreaking stories to grip Kenya this September.
Mercy had delivered the quintuplets through normal delivery, an already remarkable feat for any mother.
Evans moving around a casket shop
The joy, however, was short-lived. Four of the babies died within hours of being born, and the fifth followed not long after, leaving the Kiambu family shattered.
Images of Evans moving through a casket shop, selecting five small coffins for his children, circulated widely and drew an outpouring of sympathy from Kenyans who rallied around the grieving family.
The sight of a father performing that task encapsulated the weight of a grief few can imagine.
What’s Mercy Kanini’s hospital bill?
Mercy herself spent time recovering following the ordeal. On Friday, September 18, 2026, comedian Eric Omondi announced via Instagram that she had finally been discharged.
In his post, Omondi revealed that well-wishers had contributed KSh 305,000 towards the family’s needs, but that the hospital bill alone stood at KSh 228,000.
Eric Omondi reveals burial day of quintuplets
He urged Kenyans to continue sending support to Mercy’s M-Pesa number, 0706 871527, registered under the name Mercy Kanini.
Omondi also confirmed that the burial of the five babies whose names the family has since revealed is scheduled for the following Friday in Kuria, Migori County.
He added that he had personally appealed to Kenyatta National Hospital to consider waiving the outstanding bill, given the exceptional circumstances surrounding the family.
Eric Omondi’s request to KNH
“I am still kindly requesting Kenyatta National Hospital to please waiver the hospital bill for her. GOD BLESS,” Omondi wrote in his post.
The family’s story has moved thousands of Kenyans, not only because of the scale of the loss but also because of the quiet dignity with which Evans and Mercy have faced it.
A father shopping for five caskets, a mother recovering from childbirth with no babies to hold — theirs is a grief that words can barely contain.
