NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 2 – The government has called for increased investment in Kenya’s menstrual health sector, saying the country has the potential to develop it into a vibrant industry capable of creating jobs, driving innovation, and accelerating economic growth.

📻 Breaking It Down

Speaking during the opening of the two-day Kenya Menstrual Economy Conference in Nairobi, State Department for Industry Principal Secretary Dr. Juma Mukhwana said menstruation should no longer be viewed solely as a health issue but also as a significant economic opportunity.

Dr. Mukhwana noted that the menstrual economy cuts across multiple sectors, including agriculture, textiles, manufacturing, research, innovation, logistics, waste management, and financial services.

“We must move beyond seeing menstruation as simply a biological function and prioritise initiatives that build a vibrant menstrual economy, which creates jobs, expands manufacturing, supports innovation, and ensures that every woman has access to affordable, safe, and quality menstrual health products,” he said.

📌 What You Need to Know

The PS reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting local manufacturers through industrial policies, enterprise development programmes, and protection of innovations aimed at strengthening local production of menstrual health products.

He urged innovators to protect their intellectual property before commercialising their products and challenged entrepreneurs to focus on scaling up production and market penetration.

“The measure of success is not the number of exhibitions you attend, but the volume of products you sell,” he said.

Dr. Mukhwana further highlighted the government’s Buy Kenya, Build Kenya policy, which encourages public institutions to prioritise locally manufactured goods in procurement processes.

“We do not want to collect money from Kenyans only to spend it importing products that can be manufactured locally. We want that money to build industries, create jobs, and grow our economy,” he said.

He added that the government has established County Aggregation and Industrial Parks across the country to provide affordable production spaces for manufacturers and introduced incentives such as duty-free importation of manufacturing machinery to support industrial expansion.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya