It’s been over month now since the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (KMPDB) banned Marie Stopes from conducting abortion procedures in the country.
“Marie Stopes Kenya is hereby directed to immediately cease and desist offering any form of abortion services in all its facilities within the republic,” read letter dated November 14 from the Medical Practitioners Board.
KMPDB reprimanded the clinic for violating the board’s Practitioners and Health Facilities (Advertising) rules, 2016 and ordered its management to immediately pull down the advertisements from their website and other platforms.
However, KOT have taken to Twitter under the hashtag #DearCSSicilyKariuki and are now appealing to the Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Health to lift the ban that prevents women from having safe abortion procedures.
Sad, the untruths abound: that women can’t make moral decisions, that only careless people have abortion. These myths stand unchallenged, and as a consequence, our leaders & the so called “conservatives” develop policies based on them.#DearCSSicilyKariuki
— Janet Machuka (@janetmachuka_) December 20, 2018
We are calling on the CS Health, The MoH and KMDPB to lift this harmful decision to ban ALL abortion related services at MSK clinics especially because they ban lifesaving services post abortion care, miscarriage and emergency treatment as provided .
— MsOnyango (@AmDimples) December 20, 2018
I have been going through this hashtag and all i see is ignorance surrounding abortion. Safe abortion is paramount!….in the event a mother's life is in danger, when a woman gets raped, when a daughter gets impregnated by his dad, then what do you do?
— Woman's Not Jacque (@Jacque_Maribe) December 20, 2018
#DearCSSicilyKariuki article 26(4) of the constitution allows for access to emergency safe abortion services and PAC services is allowed by the law. Please @SicilyKariuki lift the ban on access to these services and #KeepWanjikuSafe women need not to die from preventable deaths pic.twitter.com/oe0JZ6Rd3l
— Aunty Jane Hotline (@YourAuntyJane) December 20, 2018
#DearCSSicilyKariuki it has been a while now since you ordered the KMPDB to ban all abortion related including emergency life saving services e.g treatment for miscarriage and post abortion care by MarieStopesKenya. We ask you that you rethink this harmful decision pic.twitter.com/HJiJrveL18
— jadelove (@JadeMaina) December 20, 2018
#DearCSSicilyKariuki the women of Kenya are counting on you to #KeepWanjikuSafe by making emergency abortion related care accessible
— jadelove (@JadeMaina) December 20, 2018
#DearCSSicilyKariuki #KeepWanjikuSafe Legal, accessible and safe abortion saves women’s lives. Medical complications and maternal mortality related to abortion become truly rare only when women have access to safe abortion services. @SicilyKariuki @EstherPassaris @RHRNKenya
— Kelvin Mokaya (@EduardoKelvinho) December 20, 2018
#DearCSSicilyKariuki Access to healthcare is a constitutional human right. Why allow individuals to take that right away from women? This affects you, it affects me and all the women who look up to you. Let's stand up for women. We are humans too. #KeepWanjikuSafe @SicilyKariuki
— Phonsina Archane (@heyphonsi) December 20, 2018
The order by KMPDB to ban abortion came after a public outcry against Marie Stopes’ advertisements that were said to have been deemed to promote abortion.
According to Article 26(4) of the Kenyan constitution, every individual has the right to life. Abortion is not permitted unless, in the opinion of a trained health professional, there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger, or if permitted by any other written law.
Marie Stopes clinics operate in 37 countries providing services such as safe abortion, free contraception, guidance on family planning and sexual health.
The Health CS is now under pressure to lift the ban on safe abortion that was imposed on Marie Stopes. Do you think Sicily Kariuki will bow down to the pressure and ‘stand with her fellow women?’