The Catholic church has called for the withdrawal of the Reproductive Healthcare Bill, 2019, saying it is inconsistent with the laws of Kenya and Christian values.
The Kenya Catholic Doctors Association (KCDA) said the bill is different from earlier proposed law first introduced by Senator Judith Sijeny as a private member's bill before it was referred to as the Reproductive Healthcare Bill 2014.
KCDA said the new bill has provisions that will allow minors to access contraceptives and abortion services with the only far reaching change being Article 33(a) that requires the consent of parents.
“The bill, be it in part or in its entirety, has no place in the Republic of Kenya and should be expunged from the Senate bills,” KCDA told Senate Health Committee.
The bill by Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika has also been rejected by Muslims and other Christian leaders but got backing from two government agencies.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and the National Council for Population and Development (NCPD) supported the bill, saying it is a milestone in reproductive health rights for all.
The KNCHR said the bill is consistent with the Constitution, which provides that every Kenyan has the right to the highest attainable standard of health.
The NCPD argued that the reproductive bill is in line with the Constitution and recognises family planning, surrogacy and reproductive health information and services as issues that need legal approach.
The KCDA however complained that teaching sexual pleasure as a right would automatically create perverts in the society.
“If we allow sexual pleasure to be taught as a right, what happens when one wants the pleasure and there is no consenting partner of the opposite sex? This will create perverts who will engage in masturbation, same-sex relationships, rape, bestiality, incest, teenage sex and abortion,” KCDA told the senators. Senator Kihika dismissed the interpretation as wrong and that her bill does not intend to encourage abortion and misleading teenagers that sex is for pleasure. The church further accused the bill of normalizing sex that if it is passed, teenagers will end up using contraceptives. But Muslim clergies said the Kihika sponsored bill will provide reproductive rights to all, both adults and minors.