Beyond the Ruling: Kenya’s Abortion Appeal, Post-Abortion Care and the Fight for Reproductive Justice

A recent Court of Appeal decision in Kenya has generated concern among healthcare providers, reproductive justice advocates and human rights movements in Kenya and beyond. The ruling overturned elements of a landmark High Court decision and reinstated criminal proceedings involving a young woman and a healthcare provider after emergency post-abortion care was sought.In this episode of the SRHM Podcast, Eszter Kismodi is joined by Martin Onyango, Associate Director for Legal Strategies at the Center for Reproductive Rights; Ruth Mumbi, Human Rights Defender and Executive Director of Women Collective Kenya; and Nelly Munyasia, Executive Director of Reproductive Health Network Kenya.Together they unpack the legal, public health and human rights dimensions of the ruling and discuss: What the Court of Appeal decided and why it matters The distinction between abortion and post-abortion care under Kenyan law How legal uncertainty and criminalization affect healthcare provision The disproportionate impact on women and girls in marginalized communities The role of misinformation, stigma and anti-rights narratives Legal and movement strategies as advocates prepare for a Supreme Court appealThe conversation also places the case in a wider global context, exploring ongoing struggles around sexual and reproductive justice, bodily autonomy and access to rights-based healthcare.