This archive report was first published on 1 July 2020.
On July 1, 2020, Muslim leaders in Kenya expressed their opposition to the Reproductive Health Bill, which aims to provide individuals with the right to make informed decisions on sexual and reproductive health.
The Bill's broad language, which includes minors, has raised concerns among the Muslim community that it could be exploited by those seeking to undermine the country's social and moral values.
Speaking at a press conference at Jamia Mosque in Nairobi, Alhajji Hassan Ole Naddo, the SUPKEM National Chairman, emphasized that the Bill's provisions could lead to the misuse of the right to life law, particularly in cases where a pregnancy may be terminated due to severe physical and mental abnormalities.
According to Ole Naddo, the Bill's failure to define what constitutes a severe abnormality that is incompatible with life outside the womb creates a loophole for abuse.
The Muslim leaders also expressed concerns about the provision allowing persons with mental illness to make decisions regarding pregnancy termination, citing the Constitution's stipulation that a person of unsound mind has no capacity to make such decisions.
Furthermore, the clerics argued that surrogacy, as provided for in the Bill, is not allowed in Islam due to concerns over lineage and inheritance issues.
They called for greater public engagement and participation in addressing the legal and ethical concerns surrounding surrogacy.
