KIRINYAGA, Kenya — Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina has sharply criticised Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi over budget cuts she says are undermining the education, dignity, and well-being of school-going girls, warning that Parliament could block future budgets that fail to prioritise their needs.
Speaking on Friday, January 16, at Kiamaina Primary School in Kirinyaga Central, the lawmaker said she was prepared to petition the National Assembly to withhold approval of upcoming budgets unless they include a clear and deliberate allocation for sanitary towels.
“This year, we shall not pass the budget unless it includes a clear and intentional allocation for sanitary towels. This cannot be accidental or symbolic. It must be deliberate,” Njeri Maina said.
She faulted recent budget reductions, saying they had rolled back progress made through affirmative action programmes designed to address structural inequalities affecting girls.
“Unfortunately, budget cuts in the last allocation hampered the progress we were making. The whole purpose of affirmative action is to represent critical issues like this at the national level,” she added.
The Woman Representative said the lack of access to basic sanitary products continues to fuel absenteeism among school girls, with long-term consequences beyond academic performance.
“If a girl misses school because of sanitary pads, then how much more will she miss in terms of growth, confidence, and opportunity?” she posed.
Njeri Maina spoke during the flagging-off of a sanitary towel distribution exercise under her Tupange Kesho empowerment programme, which targets more than 200 Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) across Kirinyaga County.
Under the programme, 19,725 girls are set to benefit from 88,900 packets of sanitary towels, equivalent to 1,108 bales, each containing 80 packets. Every beneficiary will receive four packets, aimed at supporting school attendance, hygiene, and dignity.
The initiative is funded through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAF), a framework established to address gender and youth-related development gaps at the grassroots.
At the same event, the legislator also disbursed Sh300,000 to each youth group from Kirinyaga to support income-generating activities under a TVET scholarship programme valued at more than Sh5.8 million.
Beyond education funding, Njeri Maina turned her criticism to the broader state of youth affairs, accusing President William Ruto’s administration of failing to adequately support young people.
“This is the most informed generation Kenya has ever produced. The problem is not that young people are lazy. The problem is the system,” she said.
She disclosed that she personally defended more than 500 youth protesters arrested during demonstrations in June last year, and pledged to continue standing with young people across all 47 counties.
“I will continue defending and standing for young people without any discrimination. I keep fighting for policies that unlock opportunity, not police ambition,” she said.
