KENYA: Catholic Members of Parliament Reiterate Bishops’ Stance Against Reproductive Health Bill
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Catholic Members of parliament in Kenya under their forum, Catholic MPs Spiritual Support Initiative (CAMPSSI), have backed the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) to fight against the Bill proposed by some parliamentarians on reproductive health.
“The objective of this reproductive health Bill is to allow abortion and other socio- culturally unacceptable sexual practices as well as to create a roadmap to comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in schools at an early age,” Chairman of CAMPSSI Hon. Chris Wamalwa Wakhungu said in an interview with AMECEA online adding that, “As Catholic Members of parliament, we say no to the Bill.”
“Under our Constitution, abortion is not permitted; life begins at conception and every human being including the unborn has the right to life,” Hon. Wamalwa who has served as the chair of CAMPSSI for five years apprised.
Catholic MPs have been working closely with the Catholic bishops who also condemned the Bill in their statement released end of June saying it is against the teachings of the Church and the African cultural values.
According to Hon. Wamalwa, the Bill which is “sponsored by international organization which promotes contraceptives and advocates for access to abortions” has “cleverly not used the term abortion and instead, hiding under the Kenyan constitution clause which says that abortion is not permitted unless under life threatening circumstances.”
“The Reproductive healthcare Bill which found its way to parliament four times in the recent years, was tabled in the National Assembly in 2006 and 2008. When the financiers realized that it was difficult to have it in the National Assembly, they presented it through the sponsorship of a then nominated senator in 2014,” reads the note sent to AMECEA online Thursday, July 2.
In the note quoting Article 26 (c) of the Bill, the Catholic parliamentarians say, “the Bill gives provision for abortion if “there exists a substantial risk that the foetus would suffer from a severe physical or mental abnormality that is incompatible with life outside the womb. And this means that persons with disability should not have right to life.”
Further, they note, “Article 28(2) provides for abortion for a person considered to suffer for mental illness.” In this case, “The consent to terminate the pregnancy shall be obtained from “either the spouse of the person; or in the absence of a spouse, the parents of the person; or the next of kin of the person.”
“At National assembly we will not allow this Bill to go through, the Bill is still based on the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) ideology that is inconsistent with our constitution, national, cultural and religious values,” Hon. Wamalwa explained in relation to issues in the Bill which conflicts the Constitution.
“It is unfortunate the Bill was passed erroneously at the second reading without the public participation. During this Coronavirus pandemic, parliament is not sitting to full capacity so this Bill was sneaked in and rushed. It passed without the knowledge of the Catholic and pro-family senators, in fact there was even no quorum,” the MP disclosed.
The MP of Kiminini Constituency in Kenya’s Trans-Nzoia County explained further the meaning of reproductive health right as used in the Bill saying, “When we talk of reproductive health right it says, when a mother is carrying a baby may be through rape or unplanned pregnancy, you can call on a doctor to do an abortion; but if the doctor refuses, then there is a fine or a jail term. This is what the Bill is referring to as reproductive health rights.”
According to the Catholic MP’s, the “Reproductive Healthcare Bill 2019 is also the main precursor for the unacceptable Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) which is a tool designed by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to sexualize our children by promoting promiscuity, use of contraceptives and seek abortion services among other harmful sexual practices including homosexuality.”
With this Hon Wamalwa said, “We will not allow Comprehensive Sexuality Education to be introduced to our children in school at an early age, we will not allow matters of abortion and we will not allow our children to be introduced to the use of contraceptives.”
He added, “We say NO to comprehensive sexuality education in schools because that is the objective of this Bill.”
The Catholic MP’s through their chair appreciated the move by the Catholic Bishops, the Evangelical Churches and the Muslim religious leaders for coming out to fight against the Bill.
