Nairobi, Kenya, Nov 19, 2018 / 16:07 pm
Kenyan authorities have banned the international abortion group Marie Stopes from offering any form of abortions in the country. This comes after a government agency investigated complaints that the group was promoting abortion through its advertisements.
Marie Stopes is a UK-based organization that claims to be the "world's largest provider of contraception and safe abortion services" and operates in 37 countries, according to its website.
Abortion is not permitted under the Constitution of Kenya, unless "there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger," or if otherwise permitted by law. The exceptions were added to the Constitution in 2010.
The Medical Practitioners Board of Kenya sent a letter to Marie Stopes last week, saying the board was acting on complaints from, among others, the campaign manager at a campaign group called CitizenGo Africa. The pro-life organization had been campaigning for an investigation of Marie Stopes' advertising practices since last year.