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Countering ICPD25: Kenyan Catholics Express Solidarity with Governments Faulting Summit

Participants during ICPD25 pro-life side events

After 11-State delegation issued a strongly worded joint statement faulting the process leading to the commemoration of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25) that took place in Cairo, Egypt in 1994, ACI Africa sought reactions from Kenyans, citizens of the country hosting the controversy-ridden Nairobi Summit.

“The joint statement by the US and the other countries is splendid, it was actually reflecting what we have been fighting for all this week,” Ms. Ann Kioko, the Campaigns Director for CitizenGo in Africa told ACI Africa and added, “I think it is just like the climax of our side events and all the activities that we have been undertaking as pro-life and pro-family groups here in Africa.”

“We are very happy it happened and we want everybody else there to get this and take it very seriously because this echoes a majority of the people in the world,” Ms. Kioko said.

Pointing out the illegality of the ICPD25 conference, Ms. Kioko who has been attending the three-day ICPD25 Pro-Life side events said, “We have stated it very clearly that the gathering at KICC (Kenyatta International Convention Center) is illegitimate, and you have seen it is an illegitimate meeting.”

She continued in reference to ICPD25 delegates, “They are just wasting some time there trying to push for illegalities. And after today nobody will take them seriously. The commitment they're going to be endorsing will not be echoed anywhere and will not be used in any intergovernmental negotiations. So, it's just a waste of time.”

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“This is a wonderful endorsement of the position that we have taken first as Kenyans with the fact that we know that ICPD25 Nairobi summit did not bring us good news,” the Convener for Governance with Kenya Christian Professional Forum (KCPF), Mr. Gerald Mwangi Walterfang told ACI Africa.

“The goodies it carries are actually counterproductive to family and counterproductive even to our religious values and more importantly, counterproductive to parenting in this country,” Mr. Walterfang a member of Catholic Men Association (CMA) said.

The Chairperson of the Catholic Members of Parliament in Kenya, Chris Wamalwa told ACI Africa, “We are pro-life and we are pro-family and as legislators we do support this and we want to put a law in this country because we have so many civil societies, beneficiaries of this pro-abortion money that comes in this country.”

The Kenyan legislature emphasized, “We want to put legislation in place so that there is full disclosure and we put some restrictions because people are getting funding from outside to come and destroy the family.”

The legislature, who is also Deputy Chief Whip of the National Assembly continued, “In our own constitution under article 45, it recognizes family as a fundamental and a natural unit of the society. So, we cannot allow people, because of the interest of money from the donors, from outside the country to come and destroy the family. We are going to put a legislation in place that is going to curtail that.”

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Nominated MP, Representing Special Interests in Kenya’s parliament, Ms. Jennifer Shamalla told ACI Africa, “I am extremely happy with the comments that have been made here today and I associate myself fully with that statement. Indeed, it has been agreed that the ICPD Nairobi summit was held outside of the United Nations framework.”

“These sentiments are the same sentiments that have been pronounced by the Holy See and the Pope and his reasons for not coming to Kenya for this meeting. And we hope going forward that this will be understood by all member nations of the United Nations that it was not done. This conference was not conducted within the UN framework,” Ms. Shamalla reiterated.

The Chairperson of the Kenya Christians Professional Forum Ms. Ann Mbugua expressed appreciation for the 11-State move saying, “We are very delighted to stand with others for the family and for life. Every human being is affiliated to a family. It's an institution which is very critical to us. It is the basis of social order, and it is wonderful to see nations come together we promote the family.”

“Contraception for adolescents, sexual health and sexual rights, is something which is full of things which are not pro-family in the sense that they are promoting promiscuity among adolescents,” Ms. Mbugua who is also an advocate by profession said and continued, “giving adolescents contraception too early, it means when they're ready to be parents, they will not be in a position to get children because the fertility level will have gone down.”

“It is not good to subject our 10-year-olds going up to contraception without actually parental consent, which is very critical. So, we are very happy to hear that there are people who truly, truly are ready to stand and defend the family,” Ms. Mbugua concluded.

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