Thousands of women lose their lives every year in Kenya to botched backstreet abortions. Rising cases are now colliding with legal uncertainty as courts redefine reproductive rights protections.
By Moraa Obiria
Saturday, May 02, 2026
What you need to know:
A landmark abortion case in Kenya now raises new fears over prosecution and access to care.
Court ruling shifts legal burden to women and providers navigating restrictive abortion laws in Kenya.
The lobbyists also pointed to the Maputo Protocol, which explicitly recognises abortion as a right
by GEORGE OWITI, Nairobi
29 September 2025
Human rights lobby groups have called on President William Ruto’s administration to decriminalize safe abortion in Kenya, citing rising numbers of unsafe procedures and maternal deaths.
The African Civil Society Organizations, including the Centre for Reproductive Rights, SUPERB, FIDA Kenya, Women Collective Kenya, Women’s Probono Initiative, Reproductive Health Network Kenya and Health Development Initiative, issued the call during this year’s International Safe Abortion Day on Sunday.
by Pauline Achieng Tom
August 14, 2025
MSI Reproductive Choices Kenya, an affiliate of Marie Stopes Kenya, is celebrating 40 years of providing reproductive health services to millions of women and men across the country.
Speaking during a press conference in Nairobi, Country Director Dr. Walter Obita emphasized the organization’s commitment to walking with women through every stage of their reproductive health journey.
“We start from the time they have their first menstrual period by providing sexual and reproductive health education. We are there when women and men are planning to have their families, we walk with them through their antenatal period, delivery, postpartum care and give them access to family planning, all the way to their pre-menopausal and menopausal stages of life. We play a role in supporting their health.”
Behind each statistic is a woman or girl navigating stigma or neglect by the systems meant to protect her
by DORIS OMAO
22 May 2025
In Kenya today, nearly 800,000 women make a silent, dangerous journey each year.
According to the recently released national report by the Ministry of Health, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), and the Guttmacher Institute, an estimated 792,694 induced abortions occurred in 2023, equivalent to 57 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age.
These numbers should jolt us into action. Behind each statistic is a woman or girl navigating misinformation, stigma, policy ambiguity, or outright neglect by the systems meant to protect her.
Continued: https://www.the-star.co.ke/opinion/2025-05-22-omao-unmuting-abortion-conversation-in-kenya
Thursday, May 15, 2025
By Angela Oketch
Only two out of every 10 primary-level health facilities in Kenya are equipped to provide basic post-abortion care (PAC) to women, a new study has revealed.
The study conducted by the Ministry of Health, the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), and the Guttmacher Institute found that just 18.3 per cent of facilities met the minimum criteria for delivering basic PAC services.
Continued: https://nation.africa/kenya/health/women-staring-at-death-over-poor-post-abortion-care-5042470
Carolyne Okallo, Youth and Communications Advisor, Ipas Africa Alliance
May 9, 2025
A recently released national report details a study highlighting gaps in Kenya’s sexual and reproductive health services—and gives compelling evidence that expanding access to modern and effective family planning and contraception is crucial to preventing unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortion methods.
Ipas Africa Alliance was part of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) that provided support for the study, “Incidence of Induced Abortions and the Severity of Abortion-related Complications in Kenya”. The joint study conducted by the Ministry of Health, the African Population and Health Research Center and Guttmacher Institute outlines the systemic changes needed to improve women’s reproductive health in Kenya.
Sunday, May 04, 2025
By Kamau Maichuhie
A new study has lifted the lid on the unpreparedness of health facilities to deal with post abortion care in the country.
The study titled “Incidence of Induced Abortions and the Severity of Abortion-related Complications in Kenya released on Friday, shows only 18 percent of Level Two and Three facilities offer post-abortion care in the country, thus putting thousands of women at risk.
The study further indicates that only 24 percent of referral-level facilities could provide comprehensive post-abortion care (PAC) services.
Continued: https://nation.africa/kenya/health/hospitals-unprepared-for-post-abortion-care-study-finds-5027950
By Mercy Kahenda
May 2, 2025
The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) report shows that married women account for 80 percent of all reported abortion cases in the country
A new report shows that married women account for 80 percent of all reported abortion cases in the country.
The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) report, released today estimates that at least 792,694 induced abortions took place in Kenya in 2023.
By CAITLIN KELLY
March 24, 2025
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — When she got pregnant at 16, Fatou Esther Jusu was terrified that it would derail her future.
Abortion is illegal in Sierra Leone. Fearing judgment from her family, she took friends’ advice and bought misoprostol, a drug whose uses include abortion, from a local pharmacy. It didn’t work. Desperate, she tried again and miscarried.
“I went to the toilet… and the baby came out,” she said. She fainted and was taken to a hospital, where she pleaded with doctors not to tell her parents.
Continued: https://apnews.com/article/sierra-leone-abortion-legalize-health-77dd89c92bfea5ed84db2d42acbebc5d
Unsafe abortion is among top causes of maternal illnesses and deaths and the treatment of abortion complications drains resources of health systems.
Lincoln G. Peters
March 20, 2024
A record number of more than 38,000 illegal abortions has been recorded to have taken place in Liberia.
The figure is found in a joint study on abortion incidences in Liberia conducted by the Clinton Health Access Initiative, the African Population and Health Research Center, and the Guttmacher Institute.
Continued; https://thenewdawnliberia.com/sali-aims-to-mitigate-liberias-38000-illegal-abortion/
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