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Month: January 2019

Makueni pens deal with UN-Habitat for sustainable development partnership

Makueni County on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UN-Habitat to collaborate in different development projects in the county.

The MoU, signed by governor Kivutha Kibwana and UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Sharif seeks to:-

  • Improve county planning practices;
  • Enhance production and use of appropriate materials for decent housing;
  • Develop a Green Energy Strategy with an action plan;
  • Develop a plan for sustainable solid waste management;
  • Strengthen revenue enhancement capacity and Local Economic Development (LED) and
  • Empower youth development.

The deal, according to governor Kibwana, will help achieve better quality of life for the people of Makueni with hope that it will open opportunities for partnerships with other UN bodies.

“We are excited about this deal. When we began negotiations last year, we had a list of many things but slowly it has been easy. We hope this is an opening for more partnerships with other UN bodies,” Kibwana said.

Sharif acknowledged the county for its efforts towards achieving the big four agenda in the country citing her happiness to see the signing of deal come true.

She said: ” I acknowledge the contribution of Makueni towards realising of the big four agenda in the country. I’m happy to see this come true today.”

Present to witness the signing of the agreement were deputy governor Adelina Mwau and other top county government officials.

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90 students from needy families secure county scholarships

At least 90 candidates from across Makueni County who sat for their KCPE in 2018 will join secondary schools of their choices under full scholarships courtesy of the Makueni County Government.

The 90, three from each of the 30 wards were awarded their first year fees cheques, amounting to a maximum of Sh 70,000 by deputy governor Adelina Mwau at Wote on Tuesday.

The 90 brings to 293 the total number of students sponsored by the County Government since 2014 when the scholarship program was unveiled by the Kibwana administration.

The scholarships covers fees, uniform and books and those who score B+ get a chance to proceed to University under full scholarship.

One of the pioneer beneficiaries of this program, Naomi Kithikii who went to Pangani Girls High School from Kiambani primary school in Makindu is now a student at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) pursuing Radiography.

“This program is God send for some of us. When i sat for my KCPE, the future looked so bleak with no hope of joining secondary school. Today I’m just a step from my dream career courtesy of this program.” said Naomi who graced the Scholarships award event.

Speaking at the event, deputy governor Adelina Mwau said, “As a government, what we are doing today is like planting a seed that in four years will bear good fruit and a few years later lead to transformation of the ninety families represented here.”

Renown Wote based business mogul  Duncun Mwilu alias Ngooni offered to sponsor up to University one student recommended by the county government.

Locals benefit from projects of Public Participation

Makueni Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau has implored the locals to make good use of public participation foras to realise development.

The DG particularly called on women to take public participation activities seriously in order to voice out social issues affecting them.

Mwau noted that besides issues of water and health, issues like gender based violence should be articulated saying that public participation provides effective platform for budget allocation.

She said: “Most of the times we prioritise issues of water, health and roads during public participation forums and forget to talk about social issues affecting us like rape and defilement cases. Women should come out in large numbers and speak about these issues so that we can get budget allocation.”

The Deputy Governor spoke on Monday when she commissioned the 80 metre Kalimani drift and Ilikoni ECDE center in Mtito-Andei ward, Kibwezi-East Sub-County, projects which were birthed through public participation. The drift marks a great milestone towards establishing linkages in different areas of the county.

Rose Matheka, one of the project management committee members while lauding the public participation model that starts at the village level, urged the county government to increase the public participation budget, a move that will ensure that many women are facilitated to attend the forums in large numbers.

The roads executive committee member Dr Naomi Makau hailed the PMC for being very vigilant in oversight roles that ensure that effective works are done.

Mtito Andei MCA Francis Mulwa who also took part in unveiling of the projects challenged the youth not to idle around but take up jobs so as to avoid indulging in drugs menace adding that he is in the forefront in steering the youth agenda in the ward.

Makueni ushers the new year 2019 with a blast

At exactly 00:00hrs, Tuesday 01.01.2019, fireworks rent the air from Unoa grounds, Wote, to usher in the new year 2019 and bring down the curtains on the year 2018.

At hand to witness this showpiece were more than 5,000 residents of Makueni led by governor Kivutha Kibwana, MPs Daniel Maanzo (Makueni), Erastus Kivasu (Mbooni) and Joshua Kimilu (Kaiti) and speaker Douglas Mbilu.

At exactly 23:58 pm on 31st December 2018, every activity came to a standstill while governor Kibwana led the residents to a count down of the ticking seconds to the new year, culminating to a blast of fireworks at the strike of midnight and crossing to the new year.

The sky above momentarily turned to a constellation as excited onlookers fixated their eyes to it to enjoy the unprecedented thrill.

The fireworks display was preceded by gospel music performances by renown and upcoming artists among them 10-year-old Shukrani Waeni, a resident of Wote.

The fireworks sensation was immediately followed by hugs, hi5s and frenzied dancing as the artists took the stage for live performances.

Some of the artists who graced the occasion include among others Mercy Masika, Stephen Kasolo, Wilberforce Musyoka, Janet Otieno, Purity Kateiko and Victor Mbuvi of the Kwata Kawaya fame.

The clergy, led by ABC Archbishop Timothy Ndambuki and Bishop Titus Masika led the congregation in an interdenominational prayers for the county’s prosperity in the year 2019.

On his twitter handle, governor Kibwana exclaimed, “What a moment! I’m extremely excited to usher in the new year 2019 in praise and prayer with fellow county residents at Wote. 2019 is a year full of hope for all of us.”

He told the residents to continue working hard and to protect the good name of the county which has been earned through visible development milestones, a result of combined efforts by the leadership and the residents.

Kibwana pledged to steer the county to even higher development heights through a united leadership.

The event, dubbed #SifaBlast, was organised by the County government in partnership with gospel artist Mercy Masika Foundation.