The Education Ministry headed by CS Amina Mohammed is in a tussle over control Sh470 million for the provision of sanitary towels to students in hardship areas with the Marget Kobia led Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs.
The Education Ministry which has been in charge of the funds lost the control to its Gender Affairs counterpart in 2017.
Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang' told the National Assembly’s Education committee that the relocation of the funds had affected the provision of sanitary towels to pupils in primary schools.
“We as a ministry are well placed to deliver the sanitary towels to the pupils since we interact with them and not the Gender department,” Dr Kipsang maintained.
[caption caption="Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang' "]
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He further disclosed that there are about six million girls in need of sanitary towels yet only one million have access to them in arid areas and poor regions.
The PS appealed to the committee led by Tinderet MP Julius Melly to revert the funds to the Ministry of Education.
The MPs concurred with his proposal promising to take up the matter with the Budget and Appropriation committee of the National Assembly.
Last year in June, President Uhuru Kenyatta signed a Bill into law, which compels the government to provide a safe and environmentally sound mechanism for disposal of the sanitary towels.
The Basic Education Amendment Act places the responsibility of providing free, sufficient and quality sanitary towels to the government in order to reduce the number of girls missing school during their periods.
According to the UN's education agency, one in 10 girls in sub-Saharan Africa misses school during their period.
[caption caption="Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang' "]
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