Rights groups and doctors on Friday welcomed a ruling by Kenya’s high court that declared it unconstitutional to treat suicide attempts as a crime.
Suicide remains illegal in the east African country, with those who attempt it facing a misdemeanour charge that can lead to a fine and up to two years in jail.
The World Bank estimated that in 2019, roughly six out of 100,000 Kenyans could be expected to eventually kill themselves, prompting the launch of a mental health initiative by the government in 2022.
On Thursday, the high court said the law was “endorsing discrimination on the basis of health which is unconstitutional.”
The ruling still requires the attorney general to initiate the process to formally repeal that section of the penal code.
The Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), which joined the petition to the high court, welcomed a “significant milestone”.
It was a “rallying call for an open…
Source: Guardian Newspaper
