Expired government-issued sanitary pads were seized by police officers from a residential house in Witeithie Estate within Juja, Kiambu County on Thursday, January 16, 2020, as reported by Citizen Digital.
Reports indicated that law enforcement was tipped off by residents who had learned that the expired products were being repackaged for sale.
According to the publication, the Ministry of Education-issued pads had a valuation of Ksh 300,000 and were reportedly acquired from various county governments, among them Mombasa, Kilifi, Murang'a and Kiambu.
Stephen Muchoki, identified as the owner of the establishment, is in the wind and police have initiated a search to track his whereabouts.
Juja Sub-county Police Commander Dorothy Migarusha, who spoke to the daily, informed that Muchoki is an acknowledged businessman and has operated the premises for the last two years.
“Some residents have told us that these sanitary towels were brought here back in 2018 and that Muchoki leaves this unfinished house with loaded sacks to an unknown destination," Migarusha stated.
"We are looking for him to explain how government property landed in his house and why,” she added.
Area residents had prior reported an increment in cases pertaining to urinary infections among females owing to the sale of the expired products.
“It’s a shame that someone is making money out of free goods that are distributed by the government! It is quite sad that they are even expired towels, no wonder we have so many cases of urinary tract infections around,” Zena Rotich, a Witeithie resident was quoted by Citizen Digital.
The national government has in the recent past stepped up its effort towards ensuring that menstruation doesn't not hinder access to education by girls from needy backgrounds.
And in the 2017-2018 financial calendar, the government made an increment in the Ministry of Education's budget to facilitate sufficient provision of sanitary towels to school girls.
