State to distribute free sanitary towels in schools

By Augustine Oduor

Some 443,858 girls in public primary schools will start receiving free sanitary towels.

The initiative that will cost the Government Sh240 million is aimed at enhancing girls’ access to education.

Information from the Ministry of Education indicates that the selected needy girls are drawn from 4,114 schools across the country. They are in Class Four to Eight.

Documents seen by The Standard indicate that the distribution of sanitary towels, expected to kick off next Wednesday, shall be done in some 25 districts in Rift Valley to benefit 146,292 girls.

Another 118,220 girls from 11 districts in Coast Province will benefit from the sanitary towels.

In Nyanza Province some 85,146 girls are targeted, while Eastern and North Eastern provinces will see 32,165 and 25,014 girls benefit.

Details of the brief on the tender for supply of sanitary towels to girls in public primary schools’ reveal that also targeted are Nairobi, Western and Central with some 16,760, 12,306 and 7,955 girls set to benefit.

The beneficiaries were identified based on national poverty index, arid and semi-arid land characteristics, gender parity index and reports provided by Provincial Directors of Education.

Education PS James ole Kiyiapi said the ministry is committed to supporting the girl child to overcome barriers in the education path.

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"These challenges range from obsolete cultural practices and increasingly those related to poverty," he said.

The PS said provision of the sanitary towels would greatly improve completion rates of girls in vulnerable communities.

"We also invite corporate organisations and private individuals to join in this endeavor to keep close to one million girls in school," he said.

The distribution of the pads will start in Nairobi followed by Coast and Rift Valley provinces. This will be spread from April 11 to May.

The next distribution will move to Central, Western and Nyanza starting May 21 to May 25.

Distribution in Eastern Province, and North Eastern will be done between May 8 and May 18.

According to the brief, of the five approved firms by the ministry’s tender committee, only three will supply the commodity.

M/S African Cotton Industries Limited shall provide about 2.3 million pads at a cost of Sh125 million.

Another 948,663 pads will be supplied by M/S Mediphram E.A Limited at a cost of Sh50 million.

M/S Decent Product Limited shall supply 775,596 packets for Sh59 million.