Author: Faith Mumo
MAKUENI PRESENTS 342 PARTICIPANTS AT THE 97th KENYA MUSIC AND CULTURAL FESTIVALS.
The 97th edition of the Kenya Music and Cultural Festivals was officially launched on Tuesday at the Taita Taveta National Polytechnic in Voi, marking the start of a thrilling ten-day celebration of Kenya’s vibrant artistic and cultural heritage.
The event, which was graced by Taita Taveta Deputy Governor H.E. Christine Saru Kilalo, promises a rich array of performances, including music choirs, drama, spoken word, narratives and cultural exhibitions drawn from all over the country.
During the opening ceremony, Kilalo warmly welcomed participants and visitors to Taita Taveta, urging the competitors to celebrate the nation’s diverse cultures through their performances.
Makueni County made a notable contribution to the festival with 342 participants led the County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Marketing, Industry, Culture and Tourism by Dr. Sonia Nzilani,
Dr. Nzilani expressed confidence in Makueni’s strong performance, highlighting the county’s continued commitment to nurturing and developing its arts, music and cultural sectors.
The launch ceremony also featured a spirited and electrifying modern dance performance by Wote Technical Training Institute, which had previously taken first place in 96th edition of KMCF held in Makueni.
The ceremony was attended by KMCF Chairperson Prof. Emily Akuno, Kenya Cultural Centre Chief Executive Officer Michael Pundo, Makueni’s Chief Officer Dr. Jossylyn Nzilani among other national and county government officials.
GOVERNOR MUTULA HANDS OVER SITE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NDUKUMA DAM WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. has officially handed over the site for construction of Ndukuma Dam Water Distribution System to the contractor. The dam, with a capacity of 365,000,000 litres, will supply water to 16 distribution points in Phase 1, benefiting over 6,000 residents.
The phase 1 distribution system comprises of 15 M3/hr pumping system, 13,400 Watts of solar power, 100 M3 masonry tank and 7km pipeline network.
This initiative is part of Governor Mutula’s Last Mile Water Connectivity Programme, which seeks to expand access to clean and safe water. The programme targets achieving 70% water coverage in Makueni County by 2027.
USAID PARTNERS WITH MAKUENI COUNTY TO BOOST REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Local Food Systems program, has joined hands with the County Government of Makueni to promote regenerative and conservation-based agricultural practices in the county.
The initiative, targeting 5,000 households, aims to enhance agricultural productivity, increase profitability, and uplift household incomes.
One of the program’s success stories is Georgina Musyoki, an early adopter who earned Ksh 350,000 from her 5-acre farm in 2023. Her achievements highlight the potential of regenerative agriculture to transform livelihoods in Makueni.
To celebrate the program’s success and its transformative impact, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. on Wednesday hosted visiting USAID’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security, Mia Beers at Muvau ward. Beers is visiting from Washington DC.
The visit underscores the shared commitment to advancing sustainable farming practices for long-term food security and resilience.
USAID ENVIRONMENT AND FOOD SECURITY BOSS VISITS MAKUENI FOR A TOUR OF JOINT WATER PROJECTS
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. hosts USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Resilience, Environment and Food Security Mia Beers for a development tour of Makueni.
The envoy is touring water projects developed by USAID through STAWI in partnership with the Makueni County Government to appreciate their community impact.
The projects include Kaiti 2 water project set to provide water to residents of Sarova area near Wote for domestic use and micro- irrigation. Others are solarizarization of Mwaani borehole and construction of a 300 cubic meters treatment sump at Kamunyolo.
The projects are meant to increase access to clean potable water for Wote town and water for climate smart farming to enhance food security.
MAKUENI COUNTY PARTNERS WITH SCHOOLTRY TO ENHANCE DEVOLVED EDUCATION THROUGH ICT.
Makueni County has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Schooltry, a Swedish program founded in 2018, to enhance education through digital transformation. The partnership, involving the County’s ICT Department and Schooltry, aims to utilize ICT to improve service delivery in education and other sectors. Over the past two years, Makueni has achieved significant milestones in ICT and innovation including the Project Monitoring and Tracking System (PMTS), The County Integrated Health Management Information System ( CIHMIS), enhancement of the County Core Revenue System ( ZIZI), the Supplier Registration Portal, the Vocational Training Centers (VTC) Portal and other citizen engagement tools.
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. highlighted the role of ICT in promoting transparency, saying, “We are a transparent government and that has been possible due to systems developed and deployed by our ICT Department.
The delegation expressed commitment to helping Makueni achieve the next level of digital transformation.
Schooltry’s team included Carlotta Falk, Global Head of Strategic Partnerships, George Jilani, Kenya Country Director, Ismail Eleburuike, Founder and Global CEO and Fredrick Wallmark, Global COO.
