The era of nursing mothers hiding in restrooms or abandoning their careers to care for infants is officially over in Kenya’s public sector. Starting January, the Ministry of Health will launch a rigorous enforcement campaign against public institutions that have failed to establish designated childcare facilities, ending years of lax compliance with the law.

Principal Secretary for Public Health and Standardization, Mary Muthoni, issued the directive on Monday, emphasizing that the government will no longer tolerate the "optional" approach many institutions have taken toward lactation stations. The crackdown targets a systemic failure that has forced thousands of teachers, civil servants, and student-parents to choose between their economic survival and their children's health.

Mandate, Not a Suggestion

While the directive feels new, the legal framework is nearly a decade old. Sections 71 and 72 of the Health Act (2017) explicitly mandate all employers to provide lactation stations equipped with electric outlets for breast pumps, refrigerators, and comfortable seating. Crucially, the Act specifies that these stations must not be located in restrooms—a common, undignified workaround in many Kenyan offices.

“That assumption [that the law is optional] is wrong. This law is not optional. From January, we will enforce it fully to protect working mothers and their children,” PS Muthoni warned.

The Ministry’s stance reflects a growing recognition that the lack of support is an economic issue. Muthoni noted that the absence of crèches creates a "distracted workforce," where anxiety over a child's safety directly correlates with plummeting productivity in government offices and schools.

• The Requirement: Private, hygienic lactation rooms (not toilets).
• The Target: Public offices, schools, and universities.
• The Impact: Reduced absenteeism and improved retention of female talent.

The Student-Parent Dilemma

The enforcement is particularly critical for learning institutions. With a significant number of university and TVET students balancing parenthood and studies, the lack of facilities often leads to dropouts. “When mothers do not have safe and reliable places to leave their children, it affects their peace of mind, their work, and even their ability to learn,” Muthoni added.

This move aligns with the broader legislative push seen earlier this year with the Breastfeeding Mothers Bill, which proposed fines of up to KES 1 million for non-compliance, signaling that the state is tightening the noose on violators.

A Dual Crisis: The Drug Menace

Beyond childcare, the Ministry is battling a second, more insidious enemy within the same institutions: substance abuse. PS Muthoni raised an alarm over the infiltration of narcotics into schools, a concern backed by recent data.

Reports from the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) have previously indicated that over 26% of university students use substances, with alcohol and cannabis being the primary culprits. The Ministry’s internal surveys now suggest these habits are being transferred from schools back into communities, creating a cycle of addiction.

“Some learners are being exposed to harmful substances while in school and are subsequently transferring these habits to their communities,” Muthoni noted, indicating that the January crackdown may extend beyond infrastructure to include stricter health and safety audits regarding student welfare.

As the January deadline looms, the message to public sector managers is stark: modernize your facilities to respect the dignity of the Kenyan mother, or face the full force of the law.