Sanitary towels, a monthly basic for every woman, might soon cost more in Kenya.
This follows the implementation of the Sustainable Waste Management (Extended Producer Responsibility) Regulations, 2024, that took effect on May 4, 2025, six months after being gazetted.
These regulations, rooted in the Sustainable Waste Management Act, are designed to hold producers accountable for the waste generated from their products.
On paper, it’s a progressive move. We all want cleaner cities, less plastic, and responsible companies. But when essential items like sanitary towels are lumped into the same category as, say, snack wrappers or electronics, the social impact is hard to ignore.
Under the new law, producers and brand owners of items listed in the First Schedule must now pay a Sh150 fee per package. This cost is likely to be passed down to the consumer.
With sanitary products in Kenya already costing anywhere between Sh60 to over Sh150, depending on brand and quality, the increase could make them completely unaffordable for thousands of girls and women.
It could also be the difference between staying in school and falling behind for many young girls across the country.
A Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight
Period poverty isn’t new in Kenya, but this policy threatens to deepen an already existing crisis. A 2016 Ministry of Health survey showed that 54% of Kenyan girls struggle to access menstrual hygiene products.
Fast forward to 2023, a report by Amref Health Africa revealed an even grimmer picture: 65% of women and girls in Kenya cannot afford sanitary pads, and two out of three pad users in rural areas rely on sexual partners for supplies.
What Happens When Pads Are Too Expensive?
According to UNESCO, one in ten girls in sub-Saharan Africa misses school during their period due to period poverty.
Here in Kenya, girls are said to lose an average of four days of school every month because they lack menstrual products. Over four years of high school, that’s 165 school days lost.
Now add higher prices into the mix. What are low-income parents supposed to do when they’re already juggling the cost of food, transport, rent and now, pricier pads?
With new fees likely to push prices past what many families can afford, girls may be left with few options.
They may skip or drop out of school. Some might resort to unhygienic alternatives such as use of torn clothes and blankets, as well as get into transactional relationships to access the products.
Others may struggle to concentrate, with stress and discomfort negatively affecting their academic performance.
A Step Forward, a Step Back?
Kenya has made commendable strides in menstrual health over the years. In 2004, sanitary towels were exempted from VAT, making them more affordable.
In 2017, the Basic Education Act was amended to require the government to provide sanitary towels to school-going girls.
Despite the program being started with good intentions, it has been rocked by several challenges over the years, including inconsistent supply, persistent shortages, and flawed distribution systems.
In the 2023/24 financial year, the Kenyan government allocated approximately Sh940 million for the provision of sanitary pads to public schools, the highest allocation since the initiative began.
However, an audit revealed that, despite this increased funding, many schools still experienced delays and gaps in pad delivery, raising questions about accountability and efficiency within the program.
And in 2020, the country launched its first national Menstrual Health Management (MHM) policy, a move praised as a major win for gender equality.
These were powerful steps in the right direction. But if these new regulations drive up costs without exceptions or support systems in place, much of that progress could be reversed
We Need Balance
It’s important to be clear: protecting the environment is not the problem. The principle behind these new regulations is sound. Companies should take responsibility for the waste they create.
But sanitary towels are not just ‘products.’ They are essential health items. The government must consider exemptions, subsidies, or special handling for menstrual hygiene products under the EPR scheme. Failing to do so risks pushing vulnerable girls further to the margins.
