Team,

Every Kenyan has the right to respectful, dignified, and quality maternal health care. That was the landmark decision upheld by the Court of Appeals of Kenya one year ago. It was a momentous victory—one that was a decade in the making.

In 2014, the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a case with the High Court of Kenya on behalf of Josephine Majani, a pregnant woman who was physically and verbally abused by hospital staff and left to deliver her baby on a concrete hospital floor.

What followed was a decade of legal challenges as Josephine sought justice:

• 2013: Josephine is abused and neglected while giving birth by staff at Bungoma County Hospital.
• 2014: The Center files a case on Josephine's behalf with the High Court of Kenya.
• 2018: The High Court rules that Josephine's right to respectful, quality maternal health care had been grossly violated.
• 2024: The Court of Appeal of Kenya dismisses an appeal from Bungoma County government as "meritless," upholding the High Court's 2018 decision.

This victory not only secures long-awaited justice for Josephine—it reaffirms that all Kenyan women have the right to give birth in a safe, supportive setting, free from discrimination and abuse.

"I have waited for years for the court to confirm that my rights were violated—and to protect other mothers from experiencing such cruelty when giving birth."
—Josephine Majani

What Josephine went through was truly horrific—but, sadly, her story is not unique. This landmark win, made possible by Josephine's bravery and poise, is a crucial step in creating a healthier, safer future for women across Kenya.

The wheels of justice can sometimes move slowly—but we keep them moving! Let this victory remind us that our rights and our health are always worth fighting for.

Onward!

Martin Onyango
Associate Director, Africa Legal Strategies

P.S. The Center is committed to protecting and expanding reproductive rights across the world—and we need you with us in this fight. Take action and give for women like Josephine who are counting on us!