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Culture

MAKUENI, MINISTRY OF TOURISM MOOT JOINT TOURISM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

Makueni County and the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife have set the ball rolling towards joint tourism development and marketing.

During a tourism stakeholders meeting attended by players from both levels of government at Chyullu National Park on Friday, several approaches were fronted that will make Makueni a top tourist destination and boost local revenue.

These are:

1. Regularizing and promoting the South Eastern Kenya tourism circuit;

2. Working with industry players to set up hotels and tour agency investments around Chyulu;

3. Rehabilitation of Makindu airstrip;

4. Setting up four entry gates to Chyullu National Park at Makindu, Kaunguni, Metava and Katheka Kai with a view of promoting domestic tourism.

The meeting graced by Cabinet Secretary Dr. Alfred Mutua and Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr also agreed to develop a formula for sharing carbon credit revenue realized from the park.

Dr. Mutua promised to expedite completion of the electric fence around the park to put a permanent stop to the human-wildlife conflict that has left a long trail of death and destruction of property and crops in the larger Kibwezi area.

DR. SONIA NZILANI, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR TRADE, INDUSTRY, MARKETING, CULTURE, AND TOURISM INTERACTS WITH TRADERS AT KIKIMA, WINZENI, TUVILANI, AND MUKAATINI MARKETS IN MBOONI SUB COUNTY.

Dr. Sonia Nzilani, the County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Industry, Marketing, Culture, and Tourism interacts with traders at Kikima, Winzeni, Tuvilani, and Mukaatini markets in Mbooni Sub County, Thursday, on trading services concerns.

Issues addressed included sanitation and trading space. Dr Sonia reassured the traders of the department’s dedication to enhance and entrepreneurship in the county. Dr. Sonia encouraged them to adopt greening to improve cultural attraction sites, community health and climate change resilience.

Additionally, she inspected the designated site for the Mbooni West dumping site.

MAKUENI COUNTY JOINS FORCES WITH NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF KENYA AND NATURAL PRODUCT INDUSTRY TO DRIVE CULTURAL INNOVATION

A dynamic collaboration between the Trade and Culture directorate, the National Museums of Kenya, and the Natural Product Industry recently unfolded during a three-day workshop at the Kilimani Breeze Hotel. The workshop’s central aim was to validate the Indigenous Knowledge (IK) Innovation Bank (InKiBank) while strategically identifying and prioritizing IK assets within Makueni County for cultural product development and eventual commercialization.

The workshop served as a melting pot of ideas, drawing together an eclectic mix of stakeholders. This included Makueni County’s energetic young culture champions, the esteemed Akamba Clans Governing Council of Elders, and key representatives from the County Assembly committees on Culture and Finance. Notably, various county departments, such as Finance, Trade, Tourism, and the County Attorney, played active roles, demonstrating a holistic approach to both cultural and economic advancement.

With robust participation from diverse sectors, the workshop emerged as a center for innovative thinking and strategic planning. Its overarching goal is to tap into the wealth of indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage embedded within Makueni County. By prioritizing IK assets, the initiative aims to unlock fresh opportunities for cultural product development and sustainable commercialization, promising both economic growth and the preservation of the region’s rich cultural identity.

96TH EDITION OF THE KENYA MUSIC AND CULTURAL FESTIVAL (KMCF) ENDS ON A HIGH NOTE

The 96th edition of the Kenya Music and Cultural Festival (KMCF) ended on a high note with the gala in which the creme de la creme of the festival entertained an audience eager to sample the best music and dance, elocution and drama teams from the festival.

Mr. Herman Shambi, Secretary Administration, State Department of Culture, the Arts and Heritage was the chief guest during the gala and closing ceremony of the 9 day festival that started on 1st December 2023 under the theme, ‘Our culture: towards national cohesion, healing and peace’.

The Chairperson of the KMCF, Prof. Emily Akuno, appreciated the generosity and hospitality extend to the festival by the Government of Makueni County. She noted that Makueni had set very high standards for other counties that will seek to host the festival.

Kakamega county emerged the top county in the festival followed by Uasin Gishu the second and Mombasa county in position three.

County First Ladies from Lamu, Nyamira and Wajir led by their host, H.E. Anita Mutula, attended the festival on 8th December 2023 and enjoyed Zilizopendwa tunes from the rest of Africa among other performances. The County First Ladies gave assurance of their support to the festival.

Vibrant Music and Cultural Festival Sets the Stage for Makueni’s Finest

Wote Green Park came alive on the 9th and 10th of November 2023, as the heart of Makueni County hosted a two-day music and cultural extravaganza. The festival, not only a celebration of artistic expression but was a crucial platform for selecting the best teams to represent the county in the upcoming Kenya Music and Cultural Festival.

The park buzzed with energy as talented performers showcased traditional dances, melodious tunes, and captivating cultural displays. Spectators were treated to a mixture of vibrant costumes, rhythmic beats, and heartwarming performances that reflected the rich cultural tapestry of Makueni.

The festival served as a rigorous selection ground, with various teams competing for the honor of representing Makueni County in the prestigious Kenya Music and Cultural Festival at Wote Technical Training Institute from 1st to 9th December.

After two days of intense competition, the winners were crowned and celebrated. The triumphant teams were not only awarded with medals but also received certificates of merit, recognizing their exceptional talent and commitment to preserving and showcasing Makueni’s cultural heritage.

The County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Industry, Marketing, Culture and Tourism Eng. Peter Mumo expressed the Departmental delight at the high level of talent on display and emphasized the importance of such events in fostering cultural pride and unity within the community. The winning teams are now gearing up to represent Makueni County on the national stage, where they will compete with teams from across Kenya in the spirit of friendship and cultural exchange.

SENSITIZATION AND ONBOARDING OF WOTE TOWN VENDORS TO SOKO MAKUENI.

In a recent online development, the County Directorates of Marketing and Trade Development and ICT conducted an intensive training program for traders in the use of Soko Makueni E-Portal platform. The purpose of this initiative was to equip participants with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate and utilize the platform effectively.

During the training sessions, participants were introduced to the various features and functionalities of the E-Portal platform, including user registration, account management, and how to access and utilize the available resources and services.


Speaking during the launch of the training, CECM Trade Eng. Peter Nyamai encouraged traders to embrace digital technology in vision of growing their businesses beyond their trading areas.


Special emphasis was placed on security measures to ensure the protection of user data and privacy. Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing increased confidence in using the E-Portal for their daily tasks. The training is seen as a crucial step in promoting a seamless and efficient digital experience for all users. The Department of Trade and Marketing behind the E-Portal platform has plans to continue offering regular training sessions to ensure that users remain well-versed in its capabilities and to foster a digitally literate trading community.

Wote, 30th August 2023-Makueni’s indigenous knowledge patented for profits

Days after the National Museum of Kenya through the National Product Initiative (NPI) in partnership with the Government of Makueni County rolled out the Indigenous Knowledge Documentation and Digitization (IK DODI) pilot project, the team has today handed over the project report to H.E Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr during a courtesy call.
The one-month documentation exercise brought together the Akamba clans Governing Council of Elders, Young Champions of Culture and the community members who volunteered information as informants.
The project was successful and the Young Champions of Culture were able to collect assets that the County Government plans to package and valorise through taking them to the market and ensure the community benefits.
The governor was taken through the Makueni County Indigenous Knowledge Innovation Bank which will be the quiver from which the community shall store their cultural knowledge in two categories of Cultural Expression and Genetic Resource.

Makuenis’ Botanical Garden tops in the Exhibition Category at the KMCF

Kee Botanical Garden from Kaiti Sub- County has emerged position one in the Exhibitions Category in the National Kenya Music and Cultural Festival (KMCF) taking place in Kitui County.
The exhibition curated by Mike Mwendwa, who is also the founder and director of the garden, scored 90% , one of the highest marks ever scored by an exhibitor at the festival.
The adjudicators commended the botanical garden for a well curated exhibition and presentation of a wide variety of live traditional medicinal plants and products.
The exhibition stand attracted many participants in the festival and other visitors were curious to learn about the live traditional medicinal plants and products.
Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage Peninah Malonza and her Director of culture are among the prominent personalities who visited the exhibition and held long discussions with the exhibitor.