NAIROBI, Kenya — Women working for the Nairobi City County Government will now be entitled to two days off every month after the County Executive Committee approved a menstrual health policy aimed at improving staff welfare and workplace productivity.
The policy, endorsed on Tuesday during a cabinet meeting chaired by Governor Johnson Sakaja, formally introduces two monthly Menstrual Health Days into the county’s human resource framework, marking a first for the devolved unit.
According to a memorandum tabled before the Cabinet, the decision is backed by evidence showing that menstrual health challenges — particularly dysmenorrhea — have a significant impact on women’s well-being and performance at work.
The Cabinet noted that between 65 and 80 per cent of women experience menstrual pain, with a considerable number reporting symptoms severe enough to disrupt their ability to work effectively.
“Within Nairobi City County Government, over half of the workforce is female, and a significant proportion of these employees are of reproductive age and experience menstrual pain monthly,” the memorandum states. “Despite its prevalence and impact, menstrual health is not recognised within existing human resource policies.”
As a result, many women report to work while unwell, a practice the Cabinet said contributes to reduced efficiency, compromised service delivery, low staff morale and productivity losses that often go unmeasured.
The newly approved policy seeks to address this gap by allowing two structured recovery days each month for women staff, without imposing any additional financial burden on the county.
According to the Cabinet, the policy is evidence-based and preventive, and aligns with Nairobi County’s commitments to gender equality, decent work and inclusive governance.
Officials further noted that even modest recovery of lost productivity would translate into significant organisational gains.
Implementation will be overseen by the Public Service Management subsector in collaboration with the County Public Service Board.
The policy will be embedded within existing human resource instruments, with sensitisation and implementation guidelines rolled out across all county departments.
Monitoring will be integrated into existing HR performance and employee well-being systems.
Measures will also be put in place to safeguard the privacy and dignity of female staff, including confidentiality protections, assurance that the leave will not negatively affect performance appraisals, and arrangements such as shift swaps and relief rosters to maintain continuity in essential services.
On costs, the memorandum states that the policy has no direct financial implications, as it will be implemented within existing administrative structures.
Any minimal incidental expenses will be absorbed within current budgets, with productivity gains expected to outweigh the costs.
The Cabinet cited international precedents to support the move, noting that countries such as Zambia, Japan and South Korea have established menstrual leave entitlements.
Indonesia allows two statutory days of menstrual leave when pain is reported, while Spain introduced a similar policy in 2023.
