Volunteers sew reusable sanitary pads inside the Fempad NGO workshop in the Kibera informal settlement on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Atieno Muyuyi)

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — It started with a casual lunch conversation between a county governor and his cabinet ministers about a colleague's menstrual pain. The discussion led to a first in Kenya: The right for female employees to take menstrual leave.

The new policy took effect in December 2025. It grants county government employees in the capital, Nairobi, two days off every month to deal with the pain and discomfort of menstruation, with the aim of improving productivity and well-being.

Governor Johnson Sakaja told The Associated Press that Kenya's national government has expressed interest in how it goes, and other county governors have as well.

“Your biggest asset is your staff,” said Sakaja, who shepherded the new practice and oversees a government where more than half of the 18,000 employees are women. “It starts with dignifying your own staff, for them to feel that they’re respected and dignified.”

Women in leading roles

There has been little public objection. Critics have said the policy could discourage employers from hiring more women, but Sakaja disagreed, saying he believes that women perform better than men when they are supported.

Women currently lead the Nairobi county government's business and health portfolios.

“A lot of labor policies were written many years ago by men,” the governor said. “Women’s rights are not anti-productivity. They are an input that creates productivity. It’s actually an investment in your workforce.”

He said there would be no financial impact, as the county has more than one person for each role.

“It will not be a train smash if three or four people in a department are not there for a day or two,” he said.

Japan was the first

Japan adopted a menstrual leave policy in 1947. The latest was Spain in 2023. Other countries include Indonesia and South Korea.

In Africa, only Zambia has nationwide menstrual leave policy. It allows female workers to take one day per month without having to provide a note from a health care provider.

Advocates say such policies recognize menstruation as a legitimate workplace health issue.

“The feedback we have gotten, especially from the staff that work in public service management, is that it’s very refreshing. And when they come back, they are able to work even better,” said Nairobi County Human Resource Manager Janet Opiata.

At least 12 women from her department, including a senior director, benefited from the leave in February, Opiata said.

The policy is a “no-questions-asked, no-forms-filled” arrangement and offers paid leave alongside the usual sick and annual paid leave enshrined in labor law. Nairobi has implemented the policy using a cabinet decree and an internal memo from the human resource office.

Stigma remains a barrier

Marion Kapuya, a 25-year-old revenue officer with the county, said the policy has already made a difference.

“Working with pain or discomfort can lead to mistakes or low productivity,” she said. “When you take the break and you are relieved from the pain, your performance will be top-notch.”

She added that stigma remains a significant barrier in many workplaces.

“Before I get to a point of saying, ‘Excuse me, sir, I am on my period and I don’t feel okay,’ it is so hard,” she said.

The Nairobi county governor said he received feedback that even with the policy, it could be embarrassing telling a manager that days off were for menstrual leave.

A Nairobi private-sector worker, Christine Akinyi, called two days a great start but said it should be increased to four days. She also expressed concern, however.

“People will prefer to employ more men because they don’t have these sick leaves,” she said.

Vomiting or severe headaches

A Nairobi-based gynecologist, Eunice Cheserem, said severe menstrual pain is common in 50% of the women she sees at her clinic. Kenya does not have national data on menstrual pain.

“If a woman gets severe menstrual pain, she actually ceases to be functional. Some will get vomiting, severe headaches, they vomit everything, they have diarrhea, they have very terrible cramps," she said. "Some respond to conventional analgesics, but very many need very, very strong analgesics for them even to be able to function."

Cheserem said the new menstrual leave in Nairobi county offers needed rest and a chance for women to take care of themselves.

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