UN population reduction strategy for Kenya

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The New American has published an important article highlighting the anti-life agenda of the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA and commenting on one of its reports issued during 2013 under the title ‘KenyaSituation population Analysis’.

 We have linked to the complete article but will comment on the report, its implications and will highlight some of the issues raised in the article. 

The controversial report claims that Kenya’s population is too large and growing too fast. UNFPA through the report wants increased efforts to reduce the number of children Kenyan women bear and encourages more “family-planning” and “reproductive-health” schemes to reduce the Kenyan population to levels considered “desirable” by the UN. Millions of dollars have been spent by the UNFPA on schemes aimed at reducing the number of children women bear rather than on ensuring that every woman has a safe delivery.

The timing of the Kenyan report is significant in that the United Nations is currently working to establish the basis of the next phase of its development agenda because many of its earlier programmes are coming to an end.

A series of meetings and conferences have been held in different parts of the world to try to establish the different regional priorities. Needless to say this process has been targeted by ideologues determined to ensure that the final outcome documents contain their deadly anti-life and family agenda and reports like this one are intended to feed into that process.

The New American article comments as follows

The controversial report, produced by the Kenyan government’s “population” minions and the UNFPA, claims that — despite dramatic declines in fertility over recent decades — authorities must do much more to bring the population down to “desirable” levels. Citing debunked claims about what the UN views as “too many” people supposedly resulting in a wide range of real and imagined problems, the radical document outlines numerous schemes to reduce the population. Among the suggested plots: more taxpayer-funded contraception, re-education, “empowering” women, reducing the “demand” for children, and more.

“One issue surrounds the realization of the policy objective of reducing total fertility rates from the current level of 4.6 to 2.6 children per woman by 2030,” observes the report, taking special aim at the poor. “This is because the demand for children is still high and is unlikely to change unless substantial changes in desired family sizes are achieved.” Incredibly, the document also states matter-of-factly that there is a “need for rapid decline in fertility.” Thus, the UN population-control zealots claimed, “the challenge is how to reduce the continued high demand for children.”

The more than 300-page report, dubbed “Kenya Population Situation Analysis,” does not explicitly call for abortion. However, experts say anyone versed in the UN’s deceptive bureaucratic language would see the real agenda clearly. For example, the document is packed with references to so-called “reproductive health” and “reproductive rights.” As then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton put it in a 2010 speech, “reproductive health includes contraception and family planning and access to legal, safe abortion.”

The article also highlights other issues set out in the report such as delaying marriage, establishing comprehensive sexuality education and so called sustainable development.

Another common theme throughout the report on Kenya is the alleged “need” to prod women into delaying marriage, family, and child-bearing. Some of the proposed methods for achieving that goal include “education,” with a wide range of schemes admittedly aimed at brainwashing African women into having fewer children. “The achievement of lower fertility is complicated by differences between individual fertility preferences and desirable fertility levels,” the report explains. In other words, the UN knows better than African families.

“Investing” in what the UN calls “education” and “health,” the document continues, would “contribute to the attainment of more favorable demographic indicators.” The “favorable” outcomes the population-control zealots are seeking, according to the report, include “lower fertility through enhanced contraceptive use” and “lower ideal family size.” The document also advocates getting more women into the workforce and government-mandated changes in “gender roles” as a way to ensure fewer African births.

“Sustainable development requires Kenya to be in a position to proactively address, rather than only react to, the population trends that will unfold over the next decades,” the widely criticized UN report continues, alluding to another one of the international outfit’s controversial ploys — sustainability — to empower itself at the expense of liberty, humanity, and national independence. “Universal access to sexual and reproductive health is still being constrained by a number of factors that are economic, social and cultural. UNFPA is expected to be in the forefront in supporting implementation of the Reproductive Health Policy.”

U.S. Taxpayer Funding Kenyan Referendum to the tune of $23 Million

U.S. taxpayers are now footing the bill to push a new constitution in Kenya to the tune of $23 million, far above previous estimates, according to a Christian Newswire press release on behalf of Congressman Chris Smith

The Inspector General (IG) for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Donald Gambatesa, has provided information that the US Government is spending over $23 million for activities in Kenya to influence the voter to pass a highly contentious constitution which includes overturning Kenyan's current life of the mother only restriction on abortion.

As part of ongoing discussions with the IG's office, Rep. Chris Smith, Ranking Member of the Africa and Global Health Subcommittee, and other key U.S. lawmakers recently received a chart listing recipients of USAID-funded activities related to the proposed constitution and a summary of their agreements. Previous estimates had indicated that $2 million was being spent, then that was updated to $11 million and now the figure identified by the IG's office exceeds $23 million.

"The Obama Administration should not be spending $23 million in American tax dollars on the specific 'Yes' campaign, pushing a determined outcome on the proposed constitution in Kenya,"

Smith said.

"The U.S. government can be supportive of the process, helping to secure a free and fair referendum. But we must respect the Kenyan people and let them decide for themselves. U.S. dollars should not be used to tell the Kenyan people how to vote."

In addition to information that the Obama Administration is funding the "Yes" campaign in Kenya, (link to a list of organizations paid with U.S. funding to support the new constitution), the chart reinforces concern that the US is financially supporting groups and activities that are advocating for abortion in the context of the draft constitution.

Smith said the IG's list shows that

"U.S. tax dollar monies are flying out the door to pro-abortion groups committed to overturning pro-life laws in Kenya."

He pointed to the Kenyan Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Kenya), which as a member of the Kenyan Reproductive Health and Rights Alliance (RHRA), is committed to increasing the availability of abortion and the decriminalization of abortion in the country. FIDA-Kenya helped to draft controversial legislation and launched a campaign in 2008 to liberalize Kenya's abortion law. Under the U.S. law, such actions should make FIDA-Kenya and similar organizations ineligible for civic education assistance related to the draft constitution.

The list includes the following:

The Committee of Experts on Constitutional Review in Kenya, which drafted the abortion-related provisions in the proposed constitution, received over $180,000 of US taxpayer monies for office equipment and networking capability. The Committee rejected the life of the mother only exception to abortion inserted into the draft constitution by a Parliamentary committee, and added a "health" exception to abortion. It is commonly known that health exceptions to abortion often lead to abortion on demand owing to the broad definition of health that includes socio-economic reasons as exemplified in the US Supreme Court decision on abortion in 1973.

The Kenyan Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Kenya) is a member of the Kenyan Reproductive Health and Rights Alliance (RHRA), which is supported by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). According to the PPFA website, the RHRA's activities include "drafting reproductive health provisions for the revised constitution." PPFA's work in Kenya includes "increasing the availability of affordable safe abortion services and supporting advocates to decriminalize abortion in the country." FIDA-Kenya helped to draft controversial legislation and launched a campaign in 2008 to liberalize Kenya's abortion law. It is receiving assistance not only from PPFA through the RHRA, but also $85,363 from USAID for advocacy activities related to the draft constitution.

FIDA-Kenya together with two other USAID funding recipients were facilitators at a "National Women Constitution Conference" held on April 30- during the USAID grant period for each organization. The conference agenda included "demystifying" the "contentious issue" of abortion.

The African Woman and Child Features Service, a media non-governmental organization ("NGO") that seeks to increase media coverage about abortion and "comprehensive reproductive health rights" in Kenya, is receiving nearly $157,000 for constitution-related activities, including "advocacy and lobbying meetings with reform bodies at national level."

Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI), which is receiving almost $3 million as a primary grant recipient, advised USAID in 2000 that USAID/Kenya would benefit by supporting civil society organizations that are advocating for "efforts to eventually legalize abortion in Kenya." While acknowledging that such activity would be "politically sensitive," DAI suggested that USAID might support local advocacy groups in their efforts as part of USAID's democracy and governance strategic objectives component that supports civic society organizations.

Smith stressed that the US can and should be supportive of "a fair, free and non-violent" process and civic education, but not work for a specific outcome. Despite US Embassy claims to the contrary, U.S. taxpayers are paying to promote passage of a foreign referendum which is viewed by many in Kenya as interference and meddling in a sovereign Kenyan matter.

Smith said that one of the most controversial items in the proposed constitution is a provision that would in effect overturn Kenya's long-existing laws outlawing abortion.

"We should be embracing the health and welfare of both mothers and children in African while respecting sovereign prolife laws. Instead, the Obama Administration is trying to change Kenya's existing restriction on abortion through the referendum. Such actions constitute a violation of U.S. law and is an affront to both the pro-life people of Kenya and the US, an overwhelming majority of whom do not support abortion, and in the case of the US-do not want their tax dollars to pay for abortion activities,"

Smith added.

In a May letter to the IGs at the State Department and USAID, Smith, and Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18), the Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Darrell Issa (CA-49), the Ranking Member on the House Oversight Committee, called for investigations into potentially illegal funding to promote the proposed pro-abortion Kenyan constitution. Such promotion would violate a statutory restriction that no USAID and State Department funds "may be used to lobby for or against abortion."



To: National & International Desks
Contact: Jeff Sagnip, Public Policy Director, Congressman Chris Smith,
609-585-7878

USAID rejects proposal to reduce maternal mortality in Kenya

USAID have turned down a Matercare International (MCI) project which would have significantly reduced maternal mortality in the Isiolo area of Kenya. according to Dr. Robert Whalley of MCI. Dr Whalley however is determined to press ahead with his plans. The Local Government District of Isiolo in Kenya has donated 7 acres of prime land for a maternity hospital and MCI has already raised over $600,000 (US) over the past few years. The project has been costed at $5,000,000 (US).

According to Dr. Whalley Mothers in the developing world are experiencing unimaginable suffering due to a scandalous lack of effective care during pregnancy and childbirth, with the consequence that many thousands are dying. The MCI proposal will provide comprehensive care to thousands of women but is being delayed due to lack of funding.

The essence of the plan developed by Dr Whalley is to bring much needed healthcare to women in their own villages but to back this up with the provision of trained personnel and emergency care centres.

The basic five point plan is:

1. Construct a 30 bed birth centre including a 2 bed delivery room, operating room, outpatients, laboratory and pharmacy.
2. Renovate, equip and staff existing parish dispensaries.
3. Provide a maternity waiting home for high risk mothers.
4. Establish mobile ambulance clinics to cover specific districts.
5. Train midwives and traditional birth attendants to provide basic maternity care in the districts.

The World Health Organisation estimates that there are over 500,000 maternal deaths annually, of which 99 per cent occur in developing countries. There is no accurate data to substantiate these numbers, the reason being that most developing countries do not report information on births, deaths, the sex of dead people or the cause of death. However, figures quoted by Dr. Whalley based on his own experience at a mission hospital in Nigeria, where the in-hospital maternal mortality ratio was 1,700per 100,000 live births, illustrates the enormity of the problem and the urgent need for financial aid to deliver the much needed health care and save lives.

Kenyan Abortion Bill Opposed

John Smeaton reports that a bill to decriminalise abortion in Kenya is being opposed by Esther Murugi the Gender and Children Affairs minister. The bill contains coercive elements and would allow abortion virtually on demand.