As we mark World Contraception Day 2025 under the theme “A Choice for All-Agency, Intention and Access”, we are reminded that Kenya’s vision for family planning by 2030 is to achieve universal access with zero unmet need.
Family planning is not only a health right but also a development indicator, as recognised in Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality, which includes reproductive health rights.
Kenya has acknowledged family planning as a socio-economic imperative and reaffirmed its commitment to making services accessible, acceptable, equitable, and affordable through the FP2030 Kenya Government Commitment launched in November 2021.
This framework contains eight objectives through which Kenya intends to achieve its goal.
In 2025, however, geopolitical tensions have seen donors drastically reduce funding for programs, affecting the availability of commodities and continuity of awareness campaigns. This has placed greater focus on Commitment Objective 3 and Financial Commitment Objective 8.
Commitment Objective 3 - Sustained availability of family planning commodities.
Challenges in supply chain management and ineffective forecasting of family planning needs have contributed to the stockouts reported in 2025.
These challenges have been compounded by the exit of non-governmental players affected by the U.S. Presidential Executive Order 14169, who previously played a role in service delivery.
Given the complexities of supply chain management at the national level, it would be worthwhile to strengthen county capacity to conduct accurate forecasting and respond to demand at the sub-national level.
Additionally, the FP2030 Kenya Commitment established the Commodity Security Technical Working Group as a social accountability mechanism to ensure community-led monitoring, supplementing existing logistics management information systems.
Incorporating feedback from this Technical Working Group into planning would significantly reduce the frequency of stockouts.
Financial Commitment Objective 8 - Domestic financing for family planning commodities
This objective aims to ensure full coverage of family planning commodity requirements by 2026.
It aligns with the regional commitment under the Abuja Declaration to progressively increase health sector financing to 15% of the total budget.
For the fiscal year 2025/2026, the Kenyan government allocated Sh138.1 billion to the health sector, with the larger share directed toward rolling out systems for universal health coverage (UHC), the government’s prevailing health priority.
However, the constant defence of the family planning budget line by the National Council for Population and Development highlights the vulnerability of these funds.
This poses a threat to the women and girls who rely on state-run facilities for family planning services. As a primary healthcare intervention, family planning could be more effectively integrated into the roll-out of UHC to minimize competition for resources.
Conclusion
While the Kenya Reproductive Health Policy remains before the High Court, we urge the full utilization of all social accountability mechanisms outlined in the FP2030 Kenya government commitment.
A multistakeholder approach is essential in responding to the unmet need for family planning. We also call on the State Department for Medical Services, the National Council for Population and Development, and the Health Committees of both the National Assembly and the Senate to prioritize budgetary allocations for family planning.
Margaret Nyambura is a health lawyer, KELIN
