Background Cesarean section is a life-saving mode of delivery in view of compelling indications. However, it poses a substantial amount of risk to future pregnancies if they are not well spaced out, thus the importance of family planning through modern contraceptive methods.

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge and uptake of these modern contraceptive methods among post Cesarean section patients in an urban hospital in Eldoret, Kenya.

Methods A cross-sectional study carried out among 250 post Cesarean section patients in the post natal clinic of the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kenya over a nine month period (September 2012 to June 2013). A researcher administered questionnaire highlighting socio-demographic variables and information on knowledge and uptake of various modern contraceptive methods was used. Epidata 3.1 software was used for data entry and STATA 13 used for data analysis.

Result Of the 250 post-Cesarean section patients, 233 (93.2%) were knowledgeable on one or more forms of modern contraception, 165 (66.0%) were willing and offered one of the various forms of modern contraception, with 128 (51.2%) of the willing patients accepting it due to child spacing so as to avoid future delivery complications. Of the 85 patients not willing to use the modern contraceptive methods, 50 (58.8%) attributed their refusal due to side effects.

Conclusion The uptake of modern contraceptive methods among post-Cesarean section patients was relatively high as compared to patients who deliver vaginally, possibly due to family planning counseling post-surgery, though the counseling still needs further intensification.