Embrace Family planning Methods, Kenyans told.
By MAURICE ALAL, reporting from Kisumu Kenya.

Residents from Nyanza region of Kenya have been urged to embrace family planning to enable them have children they can budget for amicably.

Nyanza Regional Population Coordinator, Oduor Onyango said that family planning helps in budgeting to the government to carter for its citizen through service delivery.

“We want a quality population growth rate that can be easily be catered for by the family members as well as the government,” Onyango said.

Speaking during the family planning workshop held in Siaya County,Onyango said with annual growth rate of a 3%, population of the county will reach 70 million people by 2030.

This, he said is a threat to Kenya in attaining the vision 2030 that aim to make the county a middle income nation.

The current population stand at 39 million with 43% of the total population is below the age of 15 years who are the majority and unemployed.

“Due to myths and lack of information makes the residents not to practice family planning hence get many children whom they cannot provide basic needs for.

However, Patricia Lasoi from National Council for population and Development (NCPD) said that one out of every 2 families is living in poverty because of the uncontrolled birth rate in the society.

“We can reduce the rate of poverty in our counties if the birth rate is controlled,” she said urging resident from the 47 Counties to take initiative of embracing the exercise.

Lasoi said that 1 million women in Kenya become pregnant without family planning urging men to support their women to embrace the exercise which is currently offered freely in public health facility.

She further revealed that currently 46 % of the populations are living in poverty with 44% of the labour force made up by women.

In the late 70s, Kenya was an early leader in family planning with a program that was broadly undertaken making the country to have a quality population growth rate by then, according to Lasoi.

“A total of 20.3 billion shillings will be saved by 2015 if Kenyans can fully embrace the use of family planning methods at a tune of Shs 5.3 billion,” she said.

The high population growth rate has greatly affects the country’s economy which has declined from about 7 % to 4.2 %.

“Family planning is the best to buy in today’s financial period, it is time to space up our birth rate,” Lasoi said.

The duo also revealed that Kenya still will not achieve Millennium Development Goals that aims to reduce death rate below 200 per 100,000 lives birth 2015 if family planning is not embraced.

“Kenya’s population is vibrant and young, with 38% between the ages of 15 and 35, this means that a significant percentage of the population needs schooling and access to the formal job market to improve the country’s economies development,” Lasoi expressed.

Oduor also said that family planning is one of the most cost –effective investments Kenya can make to curb population growth and achieve its development goals as laid out in Vision 2030.

Low use of family planning contributes to high numbers of closely spaced births, defined as these less than two years a past which plays a role in maternal illness, injuries and deaths.

The Kenya Demographic and Health survey 2008 – 2009 estimated maternal mortally at 488 deaths per 100,000 live births, which is among the highest ratio in the world.

“Currently only 46 % of married women are using some forms of family planning. About 26% of married women prefer to avoid a pregnancy but are not using any method of family planning. These are referred to as having unmet need for family planning” said Lasoi.

She said that today knowledge, a lot family planning is almost universal, 97% of both men women know about contraceptive methods among others like use of condoms, vasectomy, implants and withdrawal.


However, Dr. Ezekiel Ojwang’ said that one should seek health expert to recommend them (couples) for appropriate family planning method so as to avoid any complications.

Dr. Ojwang assured Kenyans that family planning does not lead to infertility in women or men and urge them to fully practice the exercise if the wish to improve their living standards.

“Family planning services are offered free of charge in public health facilities. Therefore, as residents who want development should take an initiative to make a change in his or her life,” the medic expressed.END