Uhuru signs law on free sanitary towels for schoolgirls
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{Kenyan} schoolgirls who have reached puberty will now receive free sanitary towels from the government, a new law aimed at minimising absenteeism and putting them at par with their male counterparts says.
The Basic Education Amendment Act places the responsibility of providing free, sufficient and quality sanitary towels on the government in order to reduce the number of girls missing school during their menstrual cycle.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday signed the Bill into law, which also compels the government to provide a safe and environmentally sound mechanism for disposal of the sanitary towels.
A 2016 Unesco report estimates that one in 10 girls in Sub-Saharan Africa is absent from school during their menstrual cycle.
A girl in primary school between grades 6 and 8 (three years) loses 18 learning weeks out of 108 weeks. Within the four years of high school a girl can lose 156 learning days equivalent to almost 24 weeks out of 144 weeks of learning.
In November last year, the government removed duty charged on raw materials used in production of sanitary pads, giving manufacturers a shot in the arm.
Before the concession, raw materials used in the making of sanitary pads attracted value added tax (VAT) at 16 per cent and excise duties of 25 per cent. This was despite sanitary pads being exempt from VAT and attracting zero excise duty.