Free sanitary towels pledge to cost Sh12b
By Mercy.Mwai, January 12, 2023
The government will spend Sh12.4 billion in the next five years towards the provision of free sanitary towels to all concerned schools and washrooms.
Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), in a report, says in the first year the government will be forced to set aside Sh2.3 billion; Sh2.4 billion in the second year, Sh2.3 billion in the third year; Sh2.6 billion in the fourth year; and Sh2.7 billion in the fifth year.
The entity says the money is required in order for the government to actualise its commitment to provide at least 25 million sanitary towels every year. At a cost of Sh90 each, it requires at least Sh2.3 billion.
Cement women’s role
“The bottom-up plan acknowledges that women are largely excluded from participation and decision making in the country’s governance and political institutions. To cement women’s role in socio-economic transformation, various interventions have been made,” reads the report.
It adds that, despite efforts to bridge the gender gap and promote equality in the constitutional order, there have been setbacks — including failure to legislate on the one-third-gender rule requirement for elective and appointive positions.
However, the PBO noted that commitments such as providing financial and capacity building to women through ‘Hustler’ funds for women-led enterprises, increasing the number of persons and personnel at gender desks in police stations and increasing funding for Anti-Female Genital Mutilation campaign would cement women’s role and capacity.
Other commitments include establishing a welfare fund for Kenyans working abroad to provide safety net for distressed citizens.