Nearly half of Kenyan women say they no longer want more children or are considering permanent methods such as sterilisation, pointing to changing reproductive choices in the country, a new Ministry of Health report reveals.
The report, unveiled Thursday during the National Update on the Family Planning Programme, shows that 46 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 either wish to stop childbearing completely or prefer sterilisation.
A further 30 per cent said they would like to delay their next pregnancy, while 17 per cent want another child soon. This means three out of every four women require some form of contraception.
“The uptake of family planning has improved, but there is still work to do to ensure every woman can exercise her reproductive choices,” the Ministry said.
According to the findings, 63 per cent of women currently use a family planning method, with 57 per cent relying on modern options.
Injectables are the most common at 20 per cent, followed closely by implants at 19 per cent, while pills and intrauterine devices (IUDs) stand at eight per cent and four per cent respectively.
Traditional methods make up six per cent of use. The IUD, described in the report, is a reversible device inserted in the uterus that can prevent pregnancy for several years.
By 2025, an estimated 6.6 million Kenyan women were using modern contraceptives, with most of them—62 per cent—obtaining supplies from public health facilities. Among unmarried women, condoms were found to be the preferred method, while injectables remain dominant among married women.
The Ministry announced it will expand funding to guarantee uninterrupted supply of family planning commodities and services, and to improve access for youth, people living with HIV, persons with disabilities, populations in remote areas, and displaced communities.
The report also tracks fertility trends, noting a total fertility rate of 3.9 births per woman in rural areas compared to 2.8 in urban areas. Nationally, fertility has dropped from 6.7 births per woman in 1989 to 3.4 in 2022.
Kenya’s family planning programme continues to pursue its mission of ensuring “where every pregnancy is wanted,” with targets of achieving a modern contraceptive prevalence rate of 64 per cent among married women by 2030 and 70 per cent by 2050.
Ahead of World Contraception Day 2025, themed “A Choice for All: Agency, Intention and Access” and locally adapted as “Chaguo La Wote; Making Contraception Accessible,” the Ministry will host commemorations at Makueni County Referral Hospital grounds in Wote on September 26.
The report highlights ongoing innovations, including the introduction of self-injectable methods (DMPA-SC), hormonal IUDs, digital platforms for reporting, and new tools to track service delivery. Under Kenya’s FP2030 commitments, the country seeks to reduce teenage pregnancies among girls aged 15–19 from 15 per cent to 10 per cent by 2025, enhance male participation in family planning, and secure full domestic financing for contraceptives by 2026.