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| Njonjo |
Even as religious leaders described abortion as "a great evi'l' and "a big shame", a former Attorney-General said the practice should be legalised.
Mr Charles Njonjo, a former AG and Constitutional Affairs minister, said he supported abortion, capital punishment and the rights of homosexuals.
"I am pro-abortion," declared Mr Njonjo, a prominent member of the Anglican Church of Kenya.
His sentiments are likely to ruffle many feathers in the wake of the ongoing debate on abortion sparked by the discovery of 15 aborted babies, whose remains were dumped near a river in a Nairobi suburb last week.
"When I was the Attorney-General, I would never prosecute those who carried out abortion or those who went for it. I equally would never waste time persecuting gays. I respect their rights. Why go after them and that is their right?" Mr Njonjo asked.
But even as he made his bold stand public, the head of the Anglican Church, Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi, described abortion as "a great evil".
"Life is sacred. We should not interfere with what is in the womb, said the Archbishop after leading a Sunday service at All Saints' Cathedral, Nairobi.
He described last week's incident as "a big shame".
His sentiments were echoed by religious leaders in different parts of the country, who urged the Government to crack down on all clinics where abortions are performed.
The clerics also urged MPs to rally behind the church’s call to oppose any attempts to legalise abortion.
Preaching at Mass in Nairobi, the Fr Emmanuel Ngugi in-Charge of Nairobi’s Holy Family Basilica, said: "The church is against abortion because it destroys and has no respect for the sanctity of human life," he said.
"Imagine your mother decided to abort you; where would you be? Would we have somebody like you? This is why we should all rally behind the Church and anybody else opposed to abortion," Fr Ngugi said.
He added that the church would never compromise on the legalisation of abortion.
And Bishop Julius Kalu of Mombasa ACK Diocese said: "No one should get pregnant and then decide on abortion by claiming that they do not have resources to bring up the child."
Describing abortion as criminal, the cleric said: "Life starts at conception and once you are pregnant, you must know that you are carrying God’s creature, not your own."
While defending the unborn baby's right to life, Bishop Kalu appealed to Kenyans not to procure abortions.
Speaking to the Nation after delivering a sermon in Mombasa, Bishop Kalu said abortion amounted to murder. He urged politicians to speak openly against the vice.
He said the discovering of 15 aborted babies in Nairobi last week was an embarrassment to Kenyans and an indication how some people were drifting away from God.
Bishop Kalu also urged the Government to get to the bottom of the saga and reveal the people behind the criminal act. He said those responsible must be punished according to the law.
And in Eldoret, Bishop Cornelius Korir and Eldoret North MP, Mr William Ruto called for stern action to be taken against those who dumped the babies.
The draft constitution outlaws abortion, Mr Ruto said, adding that he supported laws regarding abortion as they are in the draft constitution. Abortion remains illegal and will be illegal, he said.
Bishop Korir challenged the Government to start investigating non governmental organisations offering health services.
He said that Kenya had a low population and should be encouraged to grow and be like countries like Britain which have between 50 and 60 million people.
"The killing of unborn children amounted to murder and should be treated as such," he said.
Njonjo's support for abortion is likely to create more heat on the contentious debate and put him on a collision course with the church, Mr Njonjo defended the right of women to determine their reproductive health.
Saying he wondered why the society never asked itself why women went for abortion, he said the men behind the pregnancies should also be condemned.
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