Police have arrested a businessman found with over 300,000 pieces of expired Gok branded sanitary pads in a building in Witeithie area, Juja Sub County.
The towels from the Ministry of Education are believed to have been collected from different counties among them Mombasa, Kilifi, Murang’a and Kiambu.
Detectives found that the pads expired in 2019 and were being repackaged with the intention to sell them.
Juja Sub-County Police Commander Dorothy Migarusha said they nabbed the businessman Stephen Muchoki in Thika town, and added that he was being interrogated.
She said they have information that the renowned businessman has been leaving the premise, which is a house under construction with loaded sacks of unknown items since 2018 to unknown destinations.
“He will explain how government property landed in his house and the business he has been conducting with the same,” said Migarusha.
Witeithie residents raised concern over the increased cases of female urinary systems infections, attributing this to the expired commodity.
They said they were the highest at risk since they could be supplied within the nearby retail outlets.
“It’s sad that someone has been making money out of goods that are supposed to be given to needy students for free. The government should consider women because so many cases of women suffering from uterus cancer and Urinary Tract Infections because of using expired sanitary pads. We are at risk and need government intervention,” said Zena Cheruiyot, a resident.
Since 2011, the government has been setting aside funds for the purchase and distribution of sanitary pads to school girls from poor backgrounds in an effort to keep the girl child in school even during her monthly periods.
By Muoki Charles
