In a landmark move, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and the Nairobi City Hall Cabinet today approved a policy granting two menstrual health days off per month for women employees in the County Government.
The approval, formalised during a Cabinet session chaired by Governor Sakaja, inserts Menstrual Health Days into the county’s human resources framework, making Nairobi the first county in Kenya to adopt such a policy.
STAFF WELFARE
The decision responds to evidence that a significant proportion of women experience menstrual pain and related symptoms — including severe dysmenorrhea — that can impair productivity and wellbeing. City Hall officials said the new policy aims to enhance employee welfare, retention, and effective service delivery across departments.
Under the policy, eligible women employees will be entitled to two paid days off each month for menstrual health reasons. The implementation details, including documentation requirements and adjustments to leave records, will be issued by the County’s Human Resources Directorate in the coming weeks.
ELSEWHERE
Nairobi’s policy places it alongside a small but growing number of jurisdictions that recognise menstrual leave as a workplace right. In Africa, Zambia has long provided one menstrual leave day per month without requirement of medical proof.
Globally, countries such as Indonesia allow two days of menstrual leave per cycle, Japan grants leave upon request under labour law, and some European regions, including Spain, have enacted up to several days’ leave tied to menstrual health conditions.
In India, the state of Karnataka recently introduced a policy granting one paid menstrual leave day per month across public and private sectors, a step lauded by gender-rights advocates.
Governor Sakaja’s approval marks a significant policy milestone in Kenya’s ongoing dialogue on gender-sensitive workplace reforms.
