The abortion debate in Kenya has today been reignited as netizens have joined in a campaign and are making an appeal for the abortion ban to be lifted.
Although abortion is illegal in Kenya with an exception of special cases, a number of Kenyans are in support of the act and even campaigning that it should be legalized in the country.
The law provides for safe abortion if in the opinion of a trained health professional the life or health of the woman is danger or if permitted under any other written law.
On posters being shared online,there is a call to the health cabinet CS Sicily Kariuki and the KMDPB to lift a ban on emergency abortion in Kenya.
This call is with the intention of saving women’s lives in the country as Kenyans say that ever since the ban, it has been difficult for ladies to access the services.
Some have termed the decision to ban abortion related activities as a harmful decision since many girls have been reported to carry out abortion in very dangerous ways over time.
The debate is intertwined in other related factors such as religion, morality, the law, perception, among other believes including the aspect of culture. This makes it difficult to perceive it in one voice and view it as an independent entity.
With the ban on Marie Stopes from providing post abortion services many women and girls for whom Marie Stopes served as the only source of primary SRHR care lack services.
Although the The Ministry of Health has written to Marie Stopes requiring them to refer women and girls for services elsewhere.
In rural areas this could be a big challenge in cases where distances between health facilities and homes are far apart , therefore there is fear that emergency cases will not be dealt with in a timely fashion.
There is also an argument that continuous shutting down of health facilities providing services to women has an effect on all women of reproductive age.
Kenyans have also said that the ban is meaningless without a commensurate investment in the prevention of unintended pregnancies and therefore this might lead to an increase in the incidence and magnitude of complications from unsafe abortion in Kenya.
Do you think the ban should be lifted or upheld?