Abortion access in Kenya continues to be hotly debated, amid deaths

This is where 25-year-old Mary Olouch was buried after dying from a botched abortion in Karabok, a village in western Kenya. Next door, her young son flips through photos of the mother he barely knew.

Community health volunteer Loice Ochieng believes Mary stayed silent out of fear of stigma. Speaking in Luo, Loice said Mary likely hid the truth because she knew abortion was illegal and feared rejection from her community.

Mary’s story is not unique. In Kenya, abortion is only legal in certain circumstances, such as when a woman’s life or health is at risk. However, the interpretation of what constitutes a health risk remains widely debated.

With limited access to legal abortion services, many women are forced to seek unsafe procedures outside the healthcare system. One 24-year-old woman, who asked not to be named, recalled suffering severe bleeding and abdominal pain after an unsafe abortion. A doctor told her she arrived just in time to survive.

Lawyer Charles Kanjama, chairman of the Africa Christian Professionals Forum, is a vocal opponent of abortion. He says abortion on demand is a crime in Kenya and is currently involved in legal cases challenging its interpretation.

Kanjama, along with several political and religious leaders, has also rejected the use of mental health as grounds for a legal abortion. While some doctors consider mental health risks legitimate, most public hospitals still do not offer abortion services.