Reproductive rights advocates warn that the ruling spells grave danger for both doctors and pregnant women, thousands of whom die of unsafe abortions every year in Kenya.

April 27, 2026
by Pavan Kulkarni

Advocates for reproductive rights in Kenya, where thousands die every year of complications due to unsafe abortion, expressed outraged at the ruling on April 24 by the Court of Appeal in the town of Malindi. The court overturned a 2022 High Court ruling and recriminalized abortion.

The 2022 decision held that abortion is a constitutional right, but the appellate court ruled that this was an incorrect interpretation. The constitution adopted by Kenya in 2010 allowed for abortion if “there is a need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger.” It has, however, remained criminalized in practice for over a decade as the colonial-era penal code has not been amended to reflect this.​

 Continued: https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/04/27/kenyan-court-recriminalizes-abortion/