Women protest against more children./AI ILLUSTRATION
Kenyan women are increasingly taking charge of their reproductive health, with 46 per cent of women of reproductive age saying they do not want more children.
This is according to the latest National Update on Family Planning Programme in Kenya by the Ministry of Health’s Division of Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health (DRMNCAH).
The report, released ahead of World Contraception Day 2025, further shows that 30 per cent of women want to delay their next pregnancy, while 76 per cent need contraception.
The ministry says the National Family Planning Programme is designed to ensure universal access to quality, affordable, and accessible contraceptives, alongside information and services that enable individuals to achieve their desired family size.
The findings align with the goals of World Contraception Day 2025, which seeks to raise awareness on the availability and use of contraceptives, while pushing for increased domestic funding to guarantee sustainable access.
The report also highlights innovations in family planning, including self-administered contraceptives such as DMPA-SC and hormonal IUDs, which are helping expand options for women.
At the same time, the ministry commits to increasing uptake among vulnerable groups such as youth, persons living with HIV, persons with disabilities and marginalised populations.
It also plans to strengthen the supply chain for contraceptive commodities and build the capacity of service providers across the country.
The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022 showed that while 76 per cent of married women want to delay or avoid pregnancy, only 57 per cent currently use modern contraception. This gap, the report notes, is what current interventions seek to close.
The government has set an ambitious target of raising the modern contraceptive prevalence rate (mCPR) among married women to 64 per cent by 2030.
Officials say this will be a vital step in improving reproductive health outcomes and empowering women to make informed choices about their future.
