This archive report was first published on 13 November 2019.
Published on November 13, 2019, the ongoing 25th International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25) has sparked controversy in Kenya, with religious leaders at odds with atheists over abortion rights.
Atheists in Kenya president Harrison Mumia has criticized religious leaders for opposing abortion rights, citing statistics on maternal deaths and unsafe abortions in the country.
According to Mumia, the statistics are alarming, with 300,000 abortions occurring in Kenya annually, resulting in one in five maternal deaths due to unsafe abortions.
"We ask Kenyans to treat these marks with contempt. We cannot keep promoting retrogressive African cultures and religious positions," Mumia said, criticizing religious leaders for their stance.
He also called for the government to eliminate barriers to obtaining family planning services, provide free or low-cost family planning services to all women, especially the young and poor, and introduce sex education in schools to provide vital information for adolescents to make informed decisions regarding reproductive health.
Furthermore, Mumia urged the government to expand post-abortion care services to address the rising need for these services across the country and review the Constitution to legalize abortion and make it safe.
"We would like to make it clear that religious leaders are not the custodians of morality in Kenya," Mumia said.
