Nairobi, April 15 -- A report by the Auditor General has exposed the severe underfunding plaguing Kenya's free sanitary towels program for schoolgirls, forcing many, especially in rural areas, to drop out due to inadequate access to menstrual hygiene products.

Despite the government spending nearly Shh4 billion from 2013 to 2023 to provide pads to 12.6 million students nationwide, the audit reveals a critical gap.

"A review of the distribution lists indicated that the quantities of sanitary towels issued to girls in primary and secondary schools were insufficient to last them for the period they were in school," the report states.

On average, the Ministry of Education provided just three packets per girl yearly, a mere 42 per cent of t...