The Kenya High Court ruled Wednesday that young people should no longer be criminally prosecuted for having consensual under-age sex and be given better access to sex education.
The decision was praised as a "landmark ruling" by rights campaigners, who have long criticised Kenyan police for arresting young people instead of providing better education and support.
Sex education and the use of contraception remain taboo in many parts of Kenya due to the strong influence of Christian churches.
The case was brought by the Centre for Reproductive Rights, an international NGO based in New York, on behalf of three Kenyan teenagers.
One of them, aged 17, was arrested in February 2025 after police raided the home he shared with his 16-year-old partner and charged him with defilement.
