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Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga during the launch of a sanitary pads manufacturing company in Kaugege village, Suba North Constituency, on January 29, 2026. [James Omoro, Standard]
Women leaders have appealed to the government to support local manufacturing of sanitary pads to help improve menstrual hygiene.
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo said many women suffer due to the high cost of sanitary pads. The leaders argued that supporting local manufacturers would lower the product's cost.
Speaking when she officially opened the Galentine Care sanitary pad factory at Kaugege Trading Centre in Kasgunga Ward, Wanga urged the government to focus on local production of sanitary pads to reduce their prices.
She argued that the Sh500 million distributed through the Affirmative Action Fund should be utilised to support local production.
“We fought for the budget when we were in Parliament, and I left it at Sh500 million. Menstrual hygiene requires joint efforts, and we should fight together and use the money to support local production,” Wanga said.
The sanitary pads funded by the national government are distributed through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NG-AAF).
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Odhiambo hailed the organisation, saying the initiative would improve the availability of sanitary pads. The MP emphasized that menstrual hygiene should be given serious attention due to the challenges women face during menstruation.
“I suffered in high school because I could not attend classes during my menstruation. The situation affected me psychologically,” Odhiambo said.
She added that she would not like any woman or girl to undergo similar challenges.
“Kenyans should know that there are women who face challenges during their menses, and they should be helped,” Odhiambo said.
The sanitary pad factory proprietor, Peter McOdida, said he started the initiative to address absenteeism among schoolgirls due to lack of sanitary pads.
McOdida noted that women face menstrual challenges due to poverty in the region.
“The women we spoke to wanted sanitary pads sold at Sh50 to enable them to afford them. We expect this factory to solve some of the problems women undergo,” McOdida said.
Wanga expressed optimism that local production of affordable sanitary pads would boost efforts to curb teenage pregnancies in the county.
“Homa Bay continues to record a high number of teenage pregnancies, but the production of local and affordable sanitary pads will support the fight against the vice,” she said.
The governor added that teenage pregnancies impede girls’ education.
“I call for practical solutions such as investing in sanitary pad factories like Galentine Care to help us fight teenage pregnancies effectively,” Wanga said.
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