NAIROBI, Kenya, JULY 23, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The Church in Kenya continues to defend life and fight against abortion leading up to the referendum on a new constitution scheduled for Aug. 4.
The constitution as proposed would open the doors to more permissive legislation on abortion, which at present is illegal in the country, as well as give limited rights to Muslim courts.
Given its opposition to both these clauses, Church leaders are encouraging the faithful to vote «no» in next month’s referendum.
Last week, the justice and peace commission of Nairobi’s Holy Family Basilica organized a meeting on abortion and its effects, in order to explain the Church’s position regarding the constitution.
According to the Catholic Information Service for Africa, gynecologist Ngatia Njogu of the Kenyatta National Hospital, one of the major hospitals of East Africa, pointed out the need for the Church to show its concern for issues related to human life.
He also called for a proactive response to situations in which women face difficult pregnancies.
“We need to institute serious areas of intervention on the would-be cases of abortion,» Dr. Njogu said. «We need to create better options [for] those planning to undertake abortion, [for] example, assuring them of care in a given care center during and after pregnancy.»
The doctor said the Church is already active in this regard and he offered the example of Nairobi’s Jamaa Hospital, where «young girls, who would turn to abortion are convinced to carry the pregnancy up to end and equally are assured of the after birth care at this hospital.»
In December of 2007, Kenya erupted into two months of violence after the presidential election was disputed. As many as 1,500 people were killed in the conflict, which ended with U.N. mediation on a power-sharing agreement.
Campaigning regarding the new constitution proposal has already had at least one instance of violence.
