Why Sakaja should rethink decision to tax family planning services

Governor Johson Sakaja. [PCS]

Access to affordable family planning services is a crucial component of public health and social development, yet it remains a challenge for many women and girls in Kenya. Family planning empowers individuals and couples to make informed decisions about the number and spacing of their children, ultimately improving maternal and child health and promoting economic stability.

Kenya has a high unmet need for family planning, and although this has been a priority for the government, recent developments in the political arena have threatened to worsen the situation. Unfortunately, these challenges are compounded by ill-informed and misguided policies and actions by lawmakers and decision-makers, which threaten to further exacerbate inequalities and widen disparities in family planning access and usage.