Firestorm over Sh940m budget for sanitary pad

When the government allocated an unprecedented sum of Sh940 million for the provision of sanitary pads in public schools, it became a beacon of hope for over a million girls currently forced to skip school for two weeks per term during their monthly cycles.

In the 2023/24 Budget, the government doubled the allocation, from the previous financial year’s Sh470 million. This year's allocation is the highest since the inception of the school sanitary pad programme in 2017.

But four months into the financial year, the schools have not yet received the pads. This delay has set the political stage ablaze, with women Members of Parliament pushing for the summoning and questioning of Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu and his Gender counterpart Aisha Jumwa.

On October 4, temporary speaker Martha Wangari had a hard time calming down female MPs, who disrupted the House proceedings for minutes, waving sanitary towels and chanting: “Pads”! “Sanitary towels”.

The issue had previously been raised on the floor by Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina, who demanded that the Cabinet Secretaries involved with the funds be summoned for questioning. Several female MPs supported her, with nominated MP Irene Mayaka questioning why public toilets were stocked with free condoms, yet girls lacked access to free pads, which are essential necessities.

Who’s in charge?

What is raising eyebrows for the female legislators is the mystery surrounding the funds designated for purchasing pads. The government has been unclear about whether the funds are in the Education ministry or the Gender ministry, leaving lawmakers in the dark.

When Mr Machogu appeared before the National Assembly in June, he said the funds were under his ministry. Later, Ms Jumwa met with women representatives and confirmed to them that the allocation to sanitary pads had already been assigned to her ministry.

“In the past, the programme was domiciled in the Ministry of Gender, but it was later taken to the Ministry of Education,” said Mr Machogu when appeared before MPs.

According to Ms Maina, the delay has compelled female MPs to dip into their pockets to assist girls from underprivileged families who cannot afford sanitary pads.

She is demanding accountability for the Sh940 million, emphasising that the delay is tarnishing the Kenya Kwanza government's commitment to providing free sanitary towels to schoolgirls.

In its manifesto, Kenya Kwanza had pledged to offer free sanitary towels in all schools and make public washrooms easily accessible for economically disadvantaged women. “It is unfortunate that sanitary towels are still an issue in this day and age. The government ought to prioritise it as periods are not an option,” said Kirinyaga legislator.

Call for function transfer

Nominated MP Sabina Chege says the 11th Parliament moved the budget for sanitary pads from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Gender.

“The move was to enable the women reps to distribute the sanitary towels to schools. At the Ministry of Education, we could not trace where the sanitary pads went,” Ms Chege told Parliament early this month.

“I hope that as the leader of the majority party summons the Cabinet Secretaries here, not only do we need these sanitary pads to be purchased, but also the women reps to be given the responsibility to take them to schools so that all girls can benefit and we can trace and see which constituencies are not benefitting.”

Also read: Break barriers to menstrual health, hygiene

Kisii Woman Representative Dorice Donya warns that the delayed distribution of sanitary pads exposes schoolgirls to the risk of early pregnancies, as they are enticed by sex pests.

“As you can hear, my voice is hoarse because we want justice for our girls. Girls are lured with love messages like ‘I love you’. Those are messages from unscrupulous men because they know if they tell the girls that, the next question they ask is: ‘If you love me, what will you give me?’ The answer will be: ‘I will buy you sanitary pads.’ This is because they cannot afford Sh70 to buy sanitary pads,” she says.

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah revealed that the back-and-forth between the two ministries could be causing the delay.

“There has been a seesaw between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action. At one point, this function was in the Ministry of Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action, and then it was moved to the Ministry of Education.

"Now I am told it is back to the Ministry of Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action. I cannot speak with certainty where the funds currently reside,” said Mr Ichung’wah.

“Many government officials take it that the political class asks for these things for the sake of it. But the political class, including our women reps, asks for these things because they are in touch with the people and know the problems the people are living with.

"Therefore, I will commit to getting a joint statement by the Cabinet Secretaries for Education, and Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action.”

Learning time lost

Studies show that a schoolgirl loses 18 out of 108 learning weeks from Grade Six to Eight to period poverty. That translates into three years. Within four years of high school, a girl can lose 156 learning days, equivalent to almost 24 out of 144 weeks of learning.

Data from the Ministry of Education indicates that a girl absent from school for four days in 28 days (one month) loses 13 learning days, equivalent to two weeks of learning in every school term. In an academic year (nine months), a girl loses 39 learning days, equivalent to six weeks of learning time.

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