Photo: Cindy Shiner/allAfrica

During his budget speech, the Finance Minister said that only primary schools will benefit from the allocation.

More than 9,500 girls in 53 primary schools in Trans Mara East district have received sanitary towels supplied by the Ministry of Education. The area district education officer Alex Duro said every girl from standard four to eight will receive a year's supply of sanitary towels. "Each girl will receive nine packets and nine panties to last them the period they will be in school for the entire year," said Duro.

He said that the initiative will improve academic standards in the area as the girls will be able to attend school at all times unlike in the past. "Learning for some girls has been difficult as they are not able to come to school when they have their monthly periods due to lack of sanitary pads but now that will be a thing of the past," said Duro.

The DEO assured the girls that the sanitary towels are safe for their use dismissing rumours being peddled by some individuals that they may be unsafe. "I want to assure parents and pupils that these sanitary towels are safe and that they have been tried and tested before the government supplied to a selected number of districts countrywide," said Duro.