President Barack Obama celebrated his 49th birthday on August 4th. It was also the day which 70 percent of the people of Kenya voted to accept a new pro-abortion constitution for their nation, changing the historically pro-life laws of their country. Mr. Obama’s official political actions over the years, both foreign and domestic, have demonstrated his support of abortion. The White House acted illegally in lobbying for the “Yes” vote on this constitution. Voting “Yes” opened the door to abortion in Kenya.
In both the Illinois Senate and the U.S. Senate, Mr. Obama voted in favor of abortion again and again. Soon after taking the oath of the presidency, through executive order, he overturned the Mexico City Policy which prohibits funding to international family planning groups that provide abortions. So it comes as no surprise that Mr. Obama was advancing his pro-abortion agenda in yet another foreign country. What was disturbing is that his latest method is unconstitutional.
Republican Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey, the Ranking Member of the Congressional Africa and Global Health Subcommittee; Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, the Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Rep. Darrell Issa, the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee; and the Inspector General (IG) for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have been investigating grants the Obama administration supplied to Kenyan groups promoting the “Yes” vote campaign. On July 20, Mr. Smith revealed that the USAID found that $23 million of U.S. taxpayer money was spent to fund these non-governmental organizations (NGO). This amount was far above the earlier estimates of $2 million or $11 million.
Funding of such NGO’s that solicit, for or against abortion, violates a provision of federal law known as the Siljander Amendment. The amendment, included each year in the State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Act states, “None of the funds made available under this Act may be used to lobby for or against abortion and violations are subject to civil and criminal penalties under the Anti-deficiency Act, 31 U.S.C. § 1341."
But according to a chart released by the Office of the Inspector General of the USAID, numerous NGO’s had accepted funding from the White House. The Central Organization of Trade Unions, Kenya (COTU) obtained $91,106.66 to "marshal a coalition of pro-Constitution individuals, institutions, and organizations to drum up political support for the Proposed Constitution by organizing a public rally at the historic Kamukunji Grounds, Nairobi." The Provincial Commissioner North Eastern Province received $99,220 for "one of a series of activities that aim to contribute to an 'overrepresentation' of the YES voters at the next referendum." The Provincial Peace Forum, Rift Valley Province received $94,193.33 to "build on previous activities in the North Rift as an entry point for a YES campaign on the constitution.”
Despite denials by the office of Vice President Joe Biden and the U.S. embassy in Kenya, "Directly supporting efforts to register 'yes' voters and 'get out the yes vote' means the U.S. government is running a political campaign in Kenya. U.S. taxpayer funds should not be used to support one side or the other. The only legitimate role of the United States and other governments is ensuring that the August 4th Constitutional referendum in Kenya is free, fair and without violence,” Mr. Smith said.
Previously, U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger encouraged President of Kenya Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to muster support for the proposed constitution and congratulated the Kenyan parliament for passing it. In 2006 as senator, Mr. Obama campaigned for Mr. Odinga who shares fellow ancestral tribal connections.“We urge the leaders of the coalition government, civil society, and religious leaders to maintain positive momentum as Kenya moves towards a national referendum on the draft Constitution. Unity in support of the draft will bring the Kenyan people together and establish a framework which will greatly improve prospects for democratic stability and shared prosperity for all Kenyans,” Mr. Ranneberger said in an April 7 statement from the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi.
Prior to the new constitution, abortion was only permitted in Kenya to save the life of the mother. Article 26 of the new constitution eases restrictions on abortion with the following provision: “Abortion is not permitted unless, in the opinion of a trained health professional, there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger, or if permitted by any other law.” This clause leaves ambiguous the determination of the danger to a mother’s health, and does not take into account the denial of life that abortion renders upon the unborn baby.
In January, at a gathering in Nairobi, medical practitioners and female lawyers insisted that life only begins at birth and therefore abortion should not be criminalized. “As far as medical ethics are concerned, the life of the woman is paramount,” stated Professor Joseph Karanja, a Kenyan gynecologist. “Do we have the right to ... stop young girls from having the option,” asked Grace Maingi Kimani, Deputy Executive Director of The Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA Kenya). “Not all conceptions lead to a human being,” said Luke Kodambo Chairman of National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK). In July, they endorsed the new constitution.
However, during the months preceding the ballot, religious leaders across Kenya campaigned for a “NO” vote. “The Catholic Church spearheaded the revolt against the clause and urged the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitution Review to clearly state that life begins at conception and ends with natural death,” according to Kenyan citizen Rose Wangui.In addition, Kenyan Muslims, though only 12 percent of the population, echoed that life is a gift from God.
On July 30, over 30 Kenyan Christian denominations issued an ecumenical statement enjoining a “NO” vote on August 4 by the citizens. “We the Christian shepherds in Kenya reiterate our advice to all Kenyans to reject this proposed constitution in its entirety. It s true that there are many positive improvements in the proposed draft, but the good has been mixed with evil sections that affect the moral life and rights of this country in irreversible and fundamental ways. The proposed constitution does not safeguard the sacredness of human life, the sound and moral education of our children and religious equality. We must all ask ourselves; if this document is really as good as its proponents say it is, then why is so much money being spent to popularize it in the name of civic education? If this document is really as good as we are made to believe, why are foreigners pressurizing the country to adopt it?”
The efforts of the Kenyan Christians were to no avail. The new Kenyan Constitution will take effect August 21, 2010. Thanks to the Obama administration, abortion is now legal in Kenya.
-Kelly Kathryn Llobet is a writer living in Baltimore, a veteran Navy spouse and a proud mother of five.
