Over 100 Kenyans get free vasectomies in Nairobi

By Magdalene Mukami and Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – More than 100 Kenyans on Friday underwent vasectomies in the capital Nairobi, as the country hosted the first-ever free procedures to promote men taking the responsibility for contraception.

Organizers of the global event told Anadolu Agency that this year they decided to pitch a tent in Nairobi, Kenya, where the burden of family planning is usually left to women, to aid men in standing up for the future of their families by preventing unwanted pregnancies.

According to the organizers, this is the fourth annual World Vasectomy Day, and the first held in Kenya.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Dedra Smith of the World Vasectomy Day organization said that many Kenyans turned up for the process, conducted by a team of world-class doctors to offload the burden of family planning from women.

“There are men sitting in the hallways right now waiting for the procedure. These men want to know that they have a family size that they can support so that they can give their kids and families the best life possible,” Smith said.

- Right size family

Outside the Kenya National Theater where the procedure was being offered, Anadolu Agency caught up with Jackson Oloo, a businessman who had gone to learn more about vasectomy in the hope that before the end of the day he could get it too.

“We are a very young family, together with my wife we are in our thirties, but we already have three children. My monthly salary can’t provide for more children, that is why I came here hoping that I can close this chapter once and for all,” Oloo said, adding that he had spoken with his wife before coming to the theater.

Oloo said in Kenya the process is usually very expensive, discouraging all but the rich from undergoing the procedure.

John, who asked Anadolu Agency to use only his first name, said that he had always feared vasectomy due to myths among Kenyans that after the process men lose their ability to have sex.

“This process is costly. I once inquired about it from a hospital and they told me to pay $400, money which if I had I wouldn’t even waste on the process but provide for my family.”

He added, “As long as I can make my wife happy, I think four kids is enough for us, there’s no need to have kids I can’t provide for.”

John says that while growing up in a polygamous family, they used to scramble so much for basic needs that he would not want his children to go through that pain.

The free vasectomy offer is rare in Kenya, as a large portion of the population believes that family planning is women’s responsibility.

“We need to spread the knowledge about vasectomies and their benefits. Vasectomies are not castration, and this is what people fear most but have no knowledge of," Sena Akai from the World Vasectomy Day organization told Anadolu Agency.

The family planning method is being promoted by the Kenyan Public Health and Sanitation Ministry to help families achieve their desired family size.