Orwoba raises concern over quality of sanitary pads issued to schools by govt
By Mabonga Makhanu, September 1, 2025The embattled former nominated senator Gloria Orwoba has raised fresh concerns about the quality of sanitary towels distributed to schools by the government.
Speaking on the Obinna Show on Monday, September 1, 2025, Orwoba criticised the sanitary pads issued through the Ministry of Education, describing them as substandard.
She claimed the pads are imported and supplied at inflated prices, yet their quality remains questionable. According to her, the products are purchased abroad for as little as Ksh7 to Ksh8 but are sold to the government at between Ksh90 and Ksh100 before being distributed to schoolgirls.
“When we buy pads for the Ministry of Education, then to distribute to schools, have you ever opened the sanitary pads issued by the MOE to school children? “They are as shitty as they can get because they are imported, at Ksh7 to 8, and sold to the government at Ksh90 to 100, and then they are distributed,” Orwoba said.
Orwoba explained that this is one of the key reasons she has consistently fought for the empowerment and promotion of local manufacturers. She argued that locally produced pads would be easier to regulate and hold to account in case of quality concerns since the factories are within reach and traceable.
Taxes levied on pads
The former senator also emphasised that she has been advocating for the removal of certain taxes on raw materials used in the production of sanitary pads, especially for local manufacturers, but not to be imposed on imported pads.
She said that eliminating these taxes would lower production costs, reduce prices, and, in turn, create more job opportunities for Kenyans employed in local manufacturing firms and also encourage the importation of pads when there are local companies producing them.
“That is why I was opposing the removal of the eco-levy on imported pads, because the importers will feel the pinch since their profit margin would have been lowered. The first thing they will do is they will start looking for a cheaper place to get the raw materials,” she added.
Orwoba has been widely recognised for her bold activism on menstrual health. She has previously made headlines for her campaign against the stigma surrounding menstruation, even going as far as appearing in the Senate in clothes stained with menstrual blood to highlight the shame and discrimination girls and women face during their monthly periods.
This also comes at a time when Orwoba has been ousted from the senate, with her being replaced by Consolata Wakwabubi, who was recently sworn in.