On 22nd and 23rd November 2021, KELIN was in Kisumu and Homa Bay counties meeting the County Assembly Health Committees, County Health Management Teams, civil society actors and the Gender Technical Working Group to discuss adapting the County Reproductive Health Model Law. The Constitution of Kenya (2010) provides for the right to the highest attainable standard of health, including reproductive health care, and mandates county governments to ensure its realisation with respect to essential services which include county health facilities and pharmacies, ambulance services and promotion of primary healthcare.
Since 2018, KELIN has been providing technical guidance to four counties, including Homa Bay and Kisumu, in the development of laws and policies that address normative gaps to the realisation of sexual and reproductive health and rights. In November 2019, alongside four counties, KELIN launched the County Reproductive Health Model Law where the four counties pledged to take forward efforts to adapt the model law as part of their SRHR legislative framework.
Consequently, the meetings were geared towards contextualising the County RH Model Law and reaching consensus on a draft Reproductive Health Bill. In Homa Bay, stakeholders specified critical issues that ought to be covered by including teenage pregnancies, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and violation of the rights of women living with HIV/AIDS. Kisumu county stakeholders were concerned about SGBV as well, particularly, the provision of public safe houses, and comprehensive SGBV care including psycho-social care.
Further, participants in both counties showed clear interest in capacity enhancement on ensuring social accountability through various measures including engaging in public participation, participating in budget assessment and use of community score cards.
KELIN looks forward to our continuing partnerships with Kisumu and Homa Bay counties in enhancing their legal and policy environments on SRHR.
To contribute to the discussion on this forum, follow KELIN on our social media platforms.
Twitter @KELINKenya;
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kelinkenya.
For more information, contact:
Linda W. Kroeger
P.O Box 112-00202 KNH Nairobi
Tel: 020 2515790 |Mobile +254711456990
Email: lkroeger@kelinkenya.org
Website: www.kelinkenya.org
