International

Authorities arrest ‘fake’ doctors in Kenya for illegal abortions at franchise run by Marie Stopes

Kenya, abortions

According to reports from local news stations, including Citizen TV, at least five suspects were arrested Thursday at Prestige Health Point Medical Centre — an Amua clinic — after police were tipped off to the possible illegal abortions taking place there. When police entered the building, they recovered medical equipment and drugs they believe were used to commit abortions, as well as a bin that held the bodies of 10 aborted babies, which were taken to the city mortuary.

As reported by The Star, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council ordered the closure of the facility and suspended its registration certificate and operating license. The council’s CEO Daniel Yumbya said in a statement that the two doctors arrested — Drs. Mwaura Karumbi and John Marore — are not duly registered medical practitioners. “The men had not produced any documents to prove that they were doctors,” said Deputy William Sirego. “They have no registration numbers.”

The facility in Nairobi’s Pangani estate and is an Amua facility. Amua facilities are operated by Marie Stopes International, an abortion business based in the United Kingdom — a detail inexplicably left out of multiple news reports surrounding the arrests.

According to the Marie Stopes website, “Amua is a social franchise of Marie Stopes with a network of over 350 clinics spread across Kenya. Our Amua clinics promote the well-being of the undeserved [sic] by providing access to quality reproductive healthcare for all regardless of location or ability to pay.”

Screenshot Marie Stopes

“At our Amua clinics we guarantee you an excellent healthcare experience at a very affordable price,” states the website. “But what truly sets us apart is our strong belief in offering services of exceptional quality that meet the global Marie Stopes International standards. Our network of 400 clinics is also spread allover Kenya thus bringing our services closer to you.” (emphasis added)

Marie Stopes may claim to offer “exceptional quality” health care but the “Marie Stopes International standards” are extremely low. One of the largest abortion chains in the world, Marie Stopes has faced numerous scandals.

A report from the United Kingdom’s Care Quality Commission (CQC) found that Marie Stopes International attempted to coerce women into abortions. In addition, the CQC found the abortion group was not following proper sterilization and infection control protocols and was improperly disposing of the bodies of the babies they aborted.

A 2016 CQC inspection led to the temporary suspension of surgical abortions at Marie Stopes because the staff was not adequately trained to administer anesthetics or sedation. In 2018, a patient named Aisha Chithira, was pushed into a taxi by clinic workers while vomiting and bleeding. She died in that taxi.

READ: Survey shows 85% of Kenyans are pro-life, despite international pressure to legalize abortion

In November 2018, Kenya ordered Marie Stopes to cease all abortions in the nation after complaints arose about the abortion business’s advertisements promoting abortion for unwanted pregnancies, which is illegal. Just weeks later, Marie Stopes was allowed to resume abortions. That same month, Niger closed two facilities run by Marie Stopes for committing illegal abortions.

Despite these offenses, the UK increased funding for Marie Stopes International by 5000% from 2006 to 2018. In 2006, the abortion giant received £905,000 (today, about $1.1M USD), and in 2018, that number had jumped to £48,173,000 (about $59M USD). Now this scandal-ridden abortion giant appears to again have been caught allowing illegal abortions committed by non-doctors, putting profits above people and the law.

Two girls who obtained abortions were also at the Kenya facility at the time of the arrests. One had paid Sh12,000 for an abortion and the other had paid Sh10,000. Reports say one of the girls was arrested as well.

Article 26 of the Constitution of Kenya (2010) guarantees the right to life and states that life begins at conception. It does not allow abortion 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.” Anyone who supplies or procures an abortion for someone can be charged with a felony and imprisoned for three years.

Abortion is never medically necessary to save a woman’s life because pre-viable and preterm delivery is always a safer, faster, and more compassionate option. Abortion — the intentional and direct killing of a preborn child — is always morally wrong.

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