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Author: Martin Nzilani

Local farmers benefit from Goat Improvement Program for increased household income

At least 400 farmers from Kikumbulyu South Ward on Wednesday benefited from goat improvement programme that is aimed at increasing milk production and household income.  The initiative involved provision of Galla breeding bucks and does and capacity building of the farmers on best goat management practices. The Galla goats were also vaccinated against Contagious Caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) by a Vet doctor before the distribution exercise. 
 
According to livestock and  veterinary experts, the Galla breed has a faster growth rate, has higher market weight and produces higher milk yields, compared to the Small East African Goat, the dominant breed in the ward.
The distribution of the Galla breed was commissioned by Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili who was hosted by Agriculture Executive Joyce Mutua and Area MCA Jades Kalunda at Mkamba cultural Centre in Mikiyuni.
Mulili lauded the initiative and urged the farmers to invest massively in the best breeding practise to improve livelihoods.  Mutua called on Makueni residents to prioritize agriculture, irrigation and livestock projects during this year’s public participation process.
 

Makueni County Initiates Revocation of Controversial Kiboko B Land Allotments

The department of Lands and Urban Planning has initiated plans to revoke allotment of 54 acres of land in Kiboko B settlement scheme, Kimboo village, over the controversial manner the land was allocated. The decision by Lands Executive Committee Member Sonia Nzilani to revoke the allotments stems from a 2015 National Land Commission advisory that the land allotted to some absentee ‘squatters’ in 1999 be subdivided and newly allotted to at least 41 squatters who had settled on it. The re-allocation was carried out in 2019 for PLOT NO.718 KIBOKO ‘B’, PLOT NO.719 KIBOKO ‘B’, PLOT NO.720 KIBOKO ‘B’ but the process was hijacked by a cartel of wealthy individuals who have since worked on evicting the rightful squatters from the three parcels of land.  Dr. Sonia has however recommended revocation of the 2019 re-allocation exercise and said the land will be re-allocated afresh to the list of squatters identified by NLC in 2015 and other deserving ones after a thorough verification exercise.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr Launches Countywide Livestock Vaccination to boost Herd’s Immunity against Trans-boundary Animal Diseases

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr Launches Countywide Livestock Vaccination to boost Herd’s Immunity against Trans-boundary Animal Diseases
Mutula Kilonzo Junior on Friday, during Kalawa Ward development tour, officially launched the Annual Livestock Vaccination program at Kathulumbi Stockyard in Katangi Market.
The program is geared towards boosting the herd’s immunity against trans-boundary animal diseases.
The County government is targeting to vaccinate at least 100, 000 cattle and 150,000 sheep and goats across 465 sites in all the Sub- Counties in Makueni.
According to the Agriculture Executive Joyce Mutua, the vaccination program is highly subsidized and each beneficiary will pay a fee of Sh 20 for cattle and Sh 5 for sheep and goats. Besides, deworming services will be provided for free.

The Makueni County Budget Public participation for the FY 2023/24 kicked off on Thursday 30/3/2023, Launched by the County Executive Committee Member for Finance and Socio-Economic Planning Mrs. Damaris Kavoi.

Accompanied by the Sub-County Administrator Mark Muthoka and other county staff, the ECM launched the engagement process at Wote Social Hall where the Wote Sub-Ward citizens were holding their public participation. This process will identify the county development priorities for the FY 2023/24.
This year’s budget is being considered as a foundational yet transformative budget for the government since it prioritizes transformative and impactful projects, it will be evidence based, the public participation is for the entire county government budget and not only the allocation for the wards, and the projects and programmes prioritized cuts across several wards and departments.
Public participation has taken place in all the 60 sub-wards and will also take place at the ward level on 5th April, 2023.

Governor’s development tour.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr, Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili, accompanied by County Commissioner, several MCAs commissions Winzeni micro-Irrigation project at the River bed of River Athi in Kitise/Kithuki ward.
The project once complete will irrigate 30 acres of land. This is one among 11 micro Irrigation projects scattered in dry wards of mavindini, kitise/Kithuki, Kikumbulyu South, kikumbulyu North, mbitini and kalawa.
The Governor also led a food distribution drive to several families from the area.
 
 
 
 
 

Partnerships.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr, Health ECM Dr. Paul Musila, and Stephen Ndolo (Chief officer, health) today held collaboration talks with both Jacaranda health and Thinkwell at the governor’s boardroom.
The two partners are collaborating with Makueni county to implement quality ecosystems that aim at improving maternal and newborn healthcare solutions by linking them with available budget and data capabilities.
According to Joseph Mutweleli, Head of partnerships at Jacaranda health, this approach will leverage public partnerships and women’s voices to help the Makueni county government drive cost efficiencies in health funds as well as prioritizing investments in innovations and improvements in quality-of-care services.
Mutweleli, noted that the ultimate goal would be to increase available funds for maternal and newborn health solutions by 50% as well as reduce facility-based neonatal mortality and drivers of maternal death rate by 20%
The head of programs at Jacaranda health, Javan Waita, reported that the institution has been in Makueni since 2019. According to him, they have been able to enroll 95,040 pregnant and new mothers and reached 4,663 male partners across 80 health facilities where they empowered them with information to improve health-care seeking services through their PROMPT program.
The institution through a partnership with the health department has also been able to mentor over 250 nurses from 53 health facilities within the county who have successfully delivered over 1700 babies born every month.
Waita added that Jacaranda implemented a blood tracker innovation in 9 healthcare facilities, enabling them to identify the availability of blood.
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr endorsed the program but urged them to hold counseling sessions for teen mothers who would most likely not say much as several of them might have gotten the babies as a result of defilement.
He stressed the need for pediatric wings in public hospitals within the county, indicating the importance of maternal healthcare.
 
Health Partnership -Makueni County
Health Partnership -Makueni County
Health Partnership -Makueni County

Makueni Opens Doors to The First Community-Led Development School in Africa.

Makueni on Thursday opened doors to one of its kind, a community-led development school and the first in Africa at Wote.
The school seeks to train citizens, community leaders, civil society professionals, and government officials from across the county and the country at large to ensure that every person has a voice in decisions that affect their lives.
It will also provide a platform to strengthen the capacity of county officials and community members on how they can be involved to localize sustainable development blueprints by the county.
While presiding over the inaugural function, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr described the school as timely, adding that the center will offer collaborative learning that will be demonstrating the power of government-civil society partners.
In his keynote address, John Coonrod, vice president of the Global Hunger project and the founder of Movement for Community-Led Development (MCLD) lauded the county community-led development aspect, saying that it’s the only way to structure society consistently with human dignity as it moves decision-making closer to the people.
Governor Kilonzo re-signed a M.O.U with John Coonrod where its collaboration includes fundraising for county development initiatives, capacity strengthening of county departments on proposal writing, and fundraising among other key areas.