MSI Kenya champions access to safe abortion as a human right

This success occurred during the review of Kenya’s human rights record under the Universal Periodic Review, a platform for civil society organizations to advocate for policy reforms.

The Universal Periodic Review is a Human Rights Council mechanism through which UN Member States assess one another’s human rights performance. MSI Kenya participated in the process through the Kenya Stakeholders Coalition, hosted by the East African Centre for Human Rights (EACHRights), a network of more than 200 civil society organisations.

MSI Kenya contributed evidence, service delivery data, and technical expertise on abortion access to the development of a report submitted to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in October 2024. The report highlighted legal and policy inconsistencies affecting abortion access and documented their impact on women and girls, including poor health outcomes and school dropouts. MSI Kenya also supported stakeholder engagement and strategy discussions to strengthen civil society participation.

In early 2025, MSI Kenya and coalition members engaged directly with UN Member States to encourage the advancement of recommendations on sexual and reproductive health and rights during Kenya’s review. Civil society representatives subsequently participated in pre-session meetings and diplomatic engagements with countries including the Netherlands and Switzerland, securing support for key recommendations. Further advocacy took place in Geneva ahead of Kenya’s review, where coalition representatives engaged government delegations and promoted recommendations on sexual and reproductive healthcare, including safe abortion. These efforts contributed to recommendations from Iceland, Mozambique, Costa Rica, Denmark, and Samoa calling for improved access to services and raising concerns about the criminalisation of abortion under Kenya’s Penal Code.

Following the review, civil society organizations focused their advocacy on recommendations that the Government of Kenya had noted for further consideration, particularly those related to safe abortion, and called for their inclusion in the government’s Universal Periodic Review implementation matrix. MSI Kenya has continued to support advocacy linked to the ongoing review of the Penal Code, including coordinating the development and submission of a memorandum to Parliament. The memorandum advocates for reforms to decriminalize abortion and align Kenya’s legal framework with constitutional protections and international human rights commitments.