Women Collective Kenya Demands Repeal of Restrictive Abortion Laws
Executive Director of Women Collective Kenya, Ruth Mumbi (centre), speaking during the International Safe Abortion Day commemoration in Nairobi on Sunday 28 September 2025.
Women Collective Kenya has urged the government to repeal restrictive abortion laws that deny women and girls access to safe reproductive-health services, warning that continued criminalization is costing lives.
The call was made on Sunday as the organisation joined the world in marking International Safe Abortion Day 2025.
Executive Director Ruth Mumbi said safe abortion is both a health service and a human right that must be upheld.
“When you restrict abortion, you are not saving lives, you are killing women,” Ms Mumbi declared, noting that unsafe abortions remain a leading cause of preventable deaths in Kenya.
Citing a 2023 report by the African Population and Health Research Center, she revealed that Kenya recorded about 792,000 induced abortions that year.
“More than 300,000 women sought post-abortion care last year, with many suffering severe maternal outcomes including death or coma ,Nine out of ten women seeking abortion in public health centres do not make it because they lack access to legal and post-abortion care.”She said.
Ms Mumbi added that poor women in informal settlements and rural areas carry the heaviest burden while wealthier women can access discreet services.
“This has become a class struggle that puts the lives of the most marginalised women at risk,” she said.
She further criticised laws that, she argued, instil fear among healthcare providers despite the constitutional guarantees of reproductive rights.
“Despite Article 26 of the Constitution, there is blanket criminalisation of those who seek and provide post-abortion care. These legal, policy and administrative barriers have devastating consequences on women’s health and well-being,” she stated.
Lilian Maina, Project Officer with the Changing Laws, Changing Lives initiative, echoed the call for urgent reforms.
“We call on the government to actualise Article 26 of the Constitution and repeal Penal Code Articles 158–160, 228 and 240, which criminalise access to abortion,” Ms Maina said.
She urged authorities to expand the categories of health workers and facilities permitted to provide abortion care.
“We urge the government to fast-track the removal of barriers that limit health providers and facilities from offering abortion services, especially for the most vulnerable women and girls,” she added.
Ms Maina also stressed the need to combat stigma through accurate information and education.
“We urge the National and County Governments to eliminate abortion stigma by promoting information and education on safe abortion care as an essential health service, including its legality and availability,” she said.
In addition, she appealed to the Judiciary to protect women’s rights.
“We ask the Judiciary to remain committed to safeguarding the human rights of women and girls as they develop jurisprudence that protects essential healthcare services,” Ms Maina emphasised.
Women Collective Kenya maintains that swift legislative action will save lives and uphold constitutional rights, calling on both levels of government to ensure reproductive health services are safe, accessible and free from discrimination.
