A number of organisations have proposed safe abortion to be legalised in Kenya to reduce cases of maternal mortality.
According to the International Campaign for Women Rights to Safe Abortion, religious and cultural practices should not prevent the execution of laws on safe abortion.
“If people want to be bound by religious norms it is okay. If you have a law on safe abortion, it does not mean every woman will be forced to do it,” said Dr Shilpa Shroff who is the director of the organisation as quoted by the Standard
On the other hand, Dr Ernest Nyamato from Ipas, pointed out that stigmatisation of young girls who get pregnant is on the rise putting Kenya at risk of experiencing an increase in the number of unsafe abortions.
“We are actually going to see increased cases even in places where we had low numbers due to the stigmatisation,” Nyamato noted.
The debate on the legality of abortion has emerged as the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) continues in Nairobi.
The summit was opened by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday and is expected to end on Thursday, November 14, 2019.
A section of Kenyans, however, held demonstrations to protest against the summit whose participants committed to reducing the rate of maternal mortality in their respective countries.