From taboo to choice: Why more Kenyans are opting for vasectomy
Men in their 30s and 40s are among those undergoing vasectomy.
What you need to know:
- Rising costs, shifting norms and awareness campaigns are pushing more Kenyan men to consider vasectomy as viable option.
- Once shrouded in stigma, vasectomy is gaining acceptance among educated men seeking control over family size decisions.
When Moses Kimathi, alias DJ Moz, revealed in 2021 that he had undergone a vasectomy, he faced a backlash from many Kenyans, especially men, most of whom opposed the idea.
But Moses maintained that he reflected on the decision for two years. He had just had his third child, and, with his wife, he decided they wanted no more children, hence the need for a vasectomy.
The latest Economic Survey 2026, released by the Kenya Bureau of Statistics, shows that vasectomy is gaining traction as a family planning method. The survey shows that the number of men seeking vasectomy grew by 9.2 per cent in 2025, with 415 undergoing the procedure compared to 380 in 2024.
Since 2021, vasectomies have been on the rise. Some 248 cases were recorded in 2021. In 2022, the number rose to 557, but dipped to 389 in 2023 and 380 in 2024. While the total numbers remain low compared to female sterilisation, recent reports indicate increased acceptance as men seek to take responsibility for family planning.
Vasectomy is intended as a permanent form of male sterilisation but can often be reversed through a complex microsurgical procedure by reconnecting the vas deferens or the sperm duct. The reversal does not guarantee conception, as success rates for pregnancy range from 30 per cent to over 90 per cent.
Despite the rise, many men still hesitate to embrace it because of misconceptions that equate vasectomy to castration, fear of reduced libido, or cultural beliefs that view it as a loss of masculinity. The procedure is most commonly sought by older men with desired family size, though campaigns are increasingly targeting younger men.
Dr Samuel Ogombe, a urologist, agrees that vasectomy in Kenya has been increasing gradually. He notes that men in their 30s and 40s are among those undergoing the procedure, partly attributing increased literacy levels to drastic perception changes.
“Education has become better. People are becoming more liberal in their thinking, prompting them to make decisions initially thought of as taboo. People have also become sensitive to the prevailing hard economic situation and want a number of children they will be comfortable raising,” Dr Ogembo says.
He dismisses as unfounded the misconceptions surrounding vasectomy, including that it hampers men’s sexual performance. “Even after undergoing a vasectomy, the man can have sex with his partner; it does not, in any way, affect his sexual functionality,” Dr Ogombe says, adding that the fee for vasectomy ranges from Sh40,000 to Sh100,000, depending on hospitals.
Maurice Onyango, a sociologist, says the cost of childcare and enhanced awareness campaigns could be primary reasons behind the increase. “We are increasingly having many families opting for small families. Childcare, including education, has sharply risen, while government support has gone down,” he says, adding that the number of men seeking vasectomy could also be a result of satisfaction with their reproductive obligations.
“These days, we do not have the support of extended families in bringing up children. In the past, we could have grandparents and uncles paying school fees for their grandchildren and other relatives. That is no longer the case, perhaps explaining why men are undergoing vasectomies to keep their families to the size they can cater for.”
Public opinion is still divided. Marion Wanjiku from Nairobi says she cannot allow her husband to undergo the procedure. “I do not think it is right for a married man to undergo a vasectomy. I cannot allow my husband to undergo the procedure. In the unlikely event that we part ways or I die and he remarries, he may want to have children, something that would be impossible if he had undergone such a medical procedure,” she says.
More appealing to men
Peter Kioko, a boda boda rider married with three children, says he would consider a vasectomy for family planning. “I have never thought about it, but I do not see the reason why I cannot do it. I want to have five children, and once I am done, this is something I can consider to ensure we do not get another child that is not planned for,” he says.
The awareness campaigns involve demystifying myths and misconceptions and making services more accessible. The Ministry of Health is partnering with MSI Kenya (formerly Marie Stopes) and UNFPA to create awareness, dispel myths, and provide training for health workers in public facilities. They advocate vasectomy as a key component of national family planning strategies, aiming to diversify contraceptive methods besides women’s options.
The ministry is also recruiting “male champions” to encourage young men (aged 20–35) to take a more proactive role in family planning, moving away from relying solely on women-driven, short-term contraceptive methods.
Sham Musyoki, the health supervisor at the MSI Reproductive Choices Kenya, attributes the sharp rise to their awareness campaigns in partnership with the Health ministry. “Certainly, many women are also having tubal ligation, but we are pleased that an increasing number of men are choosing vasectomy.”
