Kenya continues to face high prevalence of unintended pregnancy. The Kenya 2014
Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) demonstrated that 35% of the total
pregnancies were unintended. The 2003 KDHS placed unintended pregnancy at 45%
while the 2008-09 KDHS demonstrated that unintended pregnancies in Kenya were 43%.
Mistimed pregnancies are quite high at more than 25% of the total pregnancies going by
the 2014 KDHS. Unintended pregnancy (mistimed and unwanted pregnancy) is closely
linked to adverse maternal and child health outcomes. In Kenya, it forms one of the key
drivers of girl child school dropouts. Moreover, precarious termination of such
pregnancies contributes hugely to maternal mortality which is currently estimated to be
more than 362 deaths per 100 000 live births. No study has been done in Kenya to
document the correlates of mistimed and unwanted pregnancy as separate concepts
nationally. The paper used Multinomial Logit Model to analyze the determinants of
unintended (mistimed and unwanted) pregnancy in Kenya. The findings indicate that
women with Primary and secondary level of education and using modern and traditional
contraceptives or intending to use any contraceptive in future have increased probability
of having mistimed (wanted later) pregnancy compared to planned births. On the other
hand, women who are currently working, in the age bracket of 20-34 and 35-49 years,
classified as richer and richest, Muslim, currently married and had their first birth in the
age bracket of 20-30 years are less likely to have mistimed pregnancy than pregnancy
that is wanted then. Unwanted pregnancy (wanted no more) is on the other hand
influenced positively by a woman having primary and secondary level of education,
being in the age bracket of 35-49 years, urban residence, classified as middle and richer
and using modern, traditional and intending to use any type of contraceptives sometimes
in the future compared to wanted births. Women classified as poorer, of Muslim
religion, currently married and have 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8 children have a higher
probability of experiencing unwanted pregnancy compared to planned births.