Kenya has demanded that Marie Stopes stop performing abortions at its centres across the country.

The order came from the Kenya Medical Practictioners and Dentists Board in response to radio adverts by the international charity which it claimed were promoting abortion.

Kenya only permits abortions to be performed in medical emergencies where a woman's life is in danger.

The board sent a letter to Marie Stopes in which it demanded that the charity submit a weekly report on services provided at its facilities for the next 60 days.

'Kenya is hereby directed to immediately cease and desist offering any form of abortion services in all its facilities within the republic,' the letter stated.

It also ordered Marie Stopes to remove 'misleading information' from its website, although it did not expand on what information it deemed to be misleading.

The action was taken in response to complaints by Ann Kioko, of pro-life campaign group CitizenGo Africa, and Ezekiel Mutua, chief executive officer of the Kenya Film Classification Board.

According to the Kenya Film Classification Board, advertisements promoting abortion contravene the country's 2016 public health facilities advertising regulations.

Mr Mutua said the adverts being run by Marie Stopes had 'not been approved by the board and they were unprofessional - they were almost making it look cool to have an abortion', according to the BBC.

Marie Stopes has 4,100 'social franchises' worldwide and operates in 37 countries. Its website advertises 'safe abortions' as well as contraception, prenatal and obstetric care. 

It denies promoting abortions in its Kenya radio ads.

'At no point did we promote abortions,' marketing director Christopher Wainaina told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

'Our media campaign talks about the legal status of abortion in Kenya, the stigma of abortion that exists and how it is leading to high numbers of women becoming victims of botched backstreet abortions and dying as a result.'