Nairobi policewoman dies after suspected botched abortion in Kawangware clinic

A female police officer attached to the Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) in Embakasi has tragically lost her life following a suspected botched abortion at a private clinic in Kawangware’s Kabiru area, Nairobi.

According to a police report, the officer was on leave when the incident occurred on Tuesday, 17 June.

The officer reportedly developed serious complications, including excessive bleeding, after allegedly being induced into labour at the facility.

Despite efforts to stabilise her, she succumbed while undergoing treatment.

In the aftermath, authorities arrested a nurse who was on duty at the clinic and a driver linked to the facility.

The body of the officer was transferred to the City Mortuary, where a post-mortem is expected to establish the exact cause of death.

The harrowing case casts a stark light on the ongoing crisis of unsafe abortions in Kenya, a largely silent epidemic that continues to claim the lives of countless women.

Although the law permits abortion under specific conditions, such as when the mother’s life is at risk, safe and regulated services remain out of reach for many due to widespread stigma, limited public healthcare infrastructure, and legal uncertainty.

The officer’s death is a tragic reflection of a broader problem where many women, including professionals in respected careers, are often forced to seek help from unlicensed and unregulated facilities, placing their lives in grave danger.

According to the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), Kenya records over 465,000 abortions annually, with nearly half classified as unsafe.

These procedures are a major contributor to maternal mortality in the country, accounting for approximately 13 percent of maternal deaths.