The cost of abortion depends on where it’s procured. If one prefers traditional way, it costs between Ksh10,000 and Ksh30,000 but if it’s in a hospital the cost will range between Ksh 30,000 and Ksh150,000.
Marie Stopes is one of the institutions known for helping individuals to procure abortion, they charge between Ksh 40,000 and Ksh 200,000 depending on the stage of the pregnancy.
Even before you decide to procure abortion, one should be aware of the dangers of going that route. One of the most obvious dangers is death, there are high chances of one losing their live. Another danger is infertility.
One of the individuals who procured abortion in Mombasa in a local clinic explained how much she parted with and how the process underwent.
“When I noticed I was pregnant, I decided to inform my boyfriend that I was carrying his baby. Steve decided to deny the pregnancy and he ended up blocking me. Due to frustrations, I contacted a friend who directed me to a clinic in Mombasa. It’s in that clinic that my pregnancy was terminated. The process was painful and memorable. It took the nurses almost one hour to terminate the pregnancy, but I underwent excessive bleeding. I was placed in a ward where I rested for one week before I was discharged. The entire process cost me Ksh30,000”.
Terminating pregnancy for first timers is more expensive than for those who have already given birth. Also, when the pregnancy goes beyond 6 months, it’s hard to terminate the pregnancy. Teenagers often pay higher than mature individuals who have already given birth because it’s their first time to get pregnant.
In Kenya it’s illegal to procure abortion unless one is involved in an accident where the pregnancy endangers the life of the carrier. Also there are diseases like high blood pressure which will permit abortion.Otherwise,if one is caught procuring illegal abortion, they will face the law.
Here is what the constitution says about abortion in Kenya:
Constitution of Kenya (2010), Article 26(4)
Article 26(4). Right to Life
Abortion is not permitted unless, in the opinion of a trained health professional, there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger, or if permitted by any other written law.
The Penal Code, Laws of Kenya, Cap. 63, Revised Edition 2009 (2008), Articles 158-160, 228 and 240
Article 158. Attempts to procure abortion.
Any person who, with intent to procure miscarriage of a woman, whether she is or is not with child, unlawfully administers to her or causes her to take any poison or other noxious thing, or uses any force of any kind, or uses any other means whatever, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for fourteen years.
Article 159. The like by woman with child.
Any woman who, being with child, with intent to procure her own miscarriage, unlawfully administers to herself any poison or other noxious thing, or uses any force of any kind, or uses any other means whatever, or permits any such thing or means to be administered or used to her, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for seven years.
Article 160. Supplying drugs or instruments to procure abortion.
Any person who unlawfully supplies to or procures for any person any thing whatever, knowing that it is intended to be unlawfully used to procure the miscarriage of a woman whether she is or is not with child, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for three years.
[…]Article 228. Killing unborn child.
Any person who, when a woman is about to be delivered of a child, prevents the child from being born alive by any act or omission of such a nature that, if the child had been born alive and had then died, he would be deemed to have unlawfully killed the child, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for life.
[…]Article 240. Surgical operation.
A person is not criminally responsible for performing in good faith and with reasonable care and skill a surgical operation upon any person for his benefit, or upon an unborn child for the preservation of the mother’s life, if the performance of the operation is reasonable, having regard to the patient’s state at the time and to all the circumstances of the case.
