by KNA
Reproductive Health Human Rights Lobby Groups in Nakuru have petitioned the government to decriminalise safe abortion in Kenya, citing rising numbers of unsafe procedures and maternal deaths. The civil society organisations, including the Reproductive Health Champions Organisation (RHCO), the Nakuru Reproductive Health Network (NRHN), and the Hope in Life Society (HILS), made the call during this year’s International Safe Abortion Day on Monday.
“We, the undersigned Civil Society Organisations committed to advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) across Kenya, come together to commemorate International Safe Abortion Day 2026 under the theme Solidarity in Action: Advance Reproductive Justice and Urgently Strengthen Health Systems for Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC),” the groups said in a joint statement.
Executive Director to SRHR Mr. Martin Lunalo noted that 8.3 million women and girls in Africa undergo unsafe abortions each year, making it one of the leading causes of maternal mortality. Lunalo warned that adolescents, women living with disabilities, those in rural and underserved communities, people in conflict situations, and survivors of sexual violence are most affected. He also pointed to the Maputo Protocol, which explicitly recognises abortion as a right in cases of sexual assault, rape, incest, or when pregnancy endangers the health or life of the woman or the fetus.
“Several women initially resort to unsafe methods such as ingesting harmful substances or using sharp objects before turning to medical abortion using pills obtained from pharmacists and chemists. The sequence often leads to complications,” he said.
He urged both levels of government to bolster healthcare infrastructure and capacity to ensure the provision of comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare services, including safe abortion and post-abortion care, particularly in underserved and rural communities.
“Lend full and sustained support to the provision of safe abortion services to ensure that they become accessible, available, affordable, and of quality for all women and adolescent girls in all their diversities,” stated the Executive Director.
Lunalo noted that unsafe abortion leads to severe maternal outcomes, including death, coma, and life-threatening complications. Lunalo urged both the national and county governments to urgently remove barriers that limit who can provide abortion care and at what levels of health facilities. He also called for action against stigma through accurate information, education, and provision of essential services.
“We call on the government, including counties, to take measures to eliminate abortion stigma through provision of accurate information and education on safe abortion care, essential services, and availability,” Lunalo said.
Recent research underscores the scale of the problem. A 2023 study by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), the Ministry of Health, and the Guttmacher Institute found Kenya recorded about 792,694 induced abortions that year. This translated to a national abortion rate of 53.3 per 1,000 women of reproductive age, up from 48.0 per 1,000 in 2012. The same study reported a national unintended pregnancy rate of 103.8 per 1,000 women of reproductive age, with more than half (55.2 percent) ending in induced abortion.
And more than 304,000 women sought post-abortion care in 2023, according to the report.
While the constitution allows for abortion in cases where the mother’s health is at risk, the law does not explicitly provide for women who are victims of sexual violence or those unable to carry a pregnancy due to poverty or social circumstances.
How many more decades will we have to publish these reports?
SOURCE: KBC. 10 October 2026.