First Lady Janet Museveni backs eco-friendly sanitary pad production in Uganda
Uganda’s First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, has welcomed plans by South African company VEB Group to produce biodegradable sanitary pads in Uganda using banana fibre.
The proposal emerged during a visit to Uganda from March 1–7 by a VEB Group delegation led by CEO Samuel Abbey Ntswana. The visit was coordinated by the Uganda High Commission in Pretoria and led by Uganda’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Paul Amoru, as part of efforts to promote investment and partnerships.
During a meeting at State Lodge in Nakasero, Museveni emphasized the need for quality hygiene products for schoolgirls and supported the development of disposable pads produced locally. Following the discussions, VEB Group said it would focus on biodegradable, single-use sanitary pads made from banana fibre sourced in Uganda.
The initiative is similar to work already underway in the country by BanaPads, a Ugandan social enterprise that produces low-cost sanitary pads from banana agricultural waste and employs rural women.
While in Uganda, the delegation also met officials from the Ministry of Education and Sports to discuss potential collaboration in manufacturing and training. They held talks with the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, about opportunities in education, youth employment and industrial development.
According to the High Commission, VEB Group is exploring investments in agro-processing, manufacturing, training centres and agricultural projects. The company has indicated an initial investment of about $5 million and plans to supply one million disposable sanitary pads and one million biodegradable baby nappies, with future production expected to take place in Uganda using locally sourced banana fibre.
Uganda has increasingly explored the use of banana waste as a raw material for textiles and hygiene products, with research institutions including Busitema University developing methods to convert banana stems into fibre.
