The Government will spend Sh200 million
to buy sanitary pads for disadvantaged
girls in primary schools in the country in
the 2013/2014 financial year.
Education Ministry Cabinet Secretary Prof.
Jacob Kaimenyi said it has already
identified 678,770 (class6-8) vulnerable
girls in 9,161 schools drawn from 165
districts to benefit from this.
He also said the country allocated Sh5240
million during the 2011/2012, and the
2012/2013 financial year in providing
sanitary towels to girls .
It benefited 443,858 girls in public
primary schools from 82 targeted districts
in the 2011/2012 financial year, Kaimenyi
said. adding that some 472,693
disadvantaged girls in public primary and
11,664 girls from special primary and
secondary schools in 124 districts in 44
counties benefited in the 2012/2013
financial year.
The statement was made on the
Education Cabinet Secretaries behalf by
Acting Director for the Ministry of
Education Mrs. E. Khaoya during launch of
the National Sanitary Towels School
Programme at Loboso Primary School
Marigat Sub-County in Baringo.
The launch was presided over byFirst
Lady, Margaret Kenyatta who expressed
concern that one million girls miss at least
4 days of schooling every month due to
menstruation factors.
“As a result, they lose up to one and a
half months of pupil to teacher contact
time,” she said added that the problem
requires the nation’s urgent attention.