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Environment

A Makueni Mountaineer, Bound to Climb Mt. Everest over Climate Change.

Dr. Faith Mwende a mountaineer from Kilungu, Makueni County on Thursday was officially handed over the Makueni flag by Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr to a long journey to summit Mt. Everest, the highest mountain in the world with the aim of creating awareness of the unprecedented speed and magnitude of climate change, mental health, and promote peace.
Mwende, a mental health champion who has climbed major mountains in Kenya says that her passion for mountaineering started while growing up in the hilly region of Kilungu.
“I want to showcase the beauty of Makueni County. When I was going up Mt. Kilimanjaro for the 3rd time, I realized an increase in snowfall and also found a lot of litter. If you’re not at peace with the environment then it leads to mental health,” Mwende said
Governor Mutula speaking during the ceremony asked her to become a Makueni climate change champion saying that Makueni had been adversely affected by the effects of climate change.
Makueni has of late faced sand flooding, cutting down of trees, and burning of forests in areas such as Nzaui hills, Makuli Forest, and Katende, among other forested regions.

Dr. Sonia Nzilani Leads Konza Technopolis Buffer Zone Planning

Makueni’s Executive Committee Member for Lands and Urban Planning Dr. Sonia Nzilani on Thursday chaired a multi-agency technical team sitting in Naivasha to develop an Inter –County Buffer Zone Physical and Land Use Development Plan around the 10 km radius Konza Technopolis buffer area. The buffer area spreads across Makueni, Kajiado and Machakos.
The team comprises of surveyors, physical planners and environmentalists from Makueni, Machakos, Kajiado, Konza Technopolis Development Authority and Ministry of Lands and Urban Planning.
The proposed 10-year plan is intended to align the Technopolis development plan with that of the 10km buffer zone so as to create a symbiotic growth. The plan will also enhance investments attraction as the buffer area complements development at the Technopolis.
Some of the key strategic installations suggested for the buffer area include an Airport, health facilities, light industries, green spaces, water dams, University College (completion of Scott University) among others.
When completed, validated and approved by the three county assemblies, the plan will be implemented by the national government, the three county governments and other development stakeholders as envisioned in the plan.
Makueni’s Devolution CECM Japheth Mang’oka, Lands and Urban Planning CECM Machakos Phillip Kilonzo as well as CEC’s from Kajiado also participated in the event.
 
 
 
 
 

Makueni To Plant 1.2M Trees by 2026

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr on Tuesday led Makueni residents in celebrating International Day of Forests by spearheading restoration of Mbitini location tree cover. The area has for years witnessed formation of life-threatening gullies and flash floods following wanton destruction of tree cover.
County Executive Committee Member for Lands, Urban Planning, Environment and Climate Change Dr. Sonia Nzilani has said the county will plant and grow at least 1.2M trees by the year 2026 in partnership with Mastercard Foundation to restore environmentally degraded lands in Makueni.
As part of a long-term strategy towards environmental conservation, the department is training and establishing environmental clubs in at least 18 schools to promote environmental education and greening programs.
The event was staged at Masokani County Technical Training Institute in Mbitini ward, Makueni Sub-county.
 
 

Makueni to deliver Emergency Drugs through Drone Services

Health facilities in Makueni will soon be able to receive essential and emergency medical supplies through aerospace, thanks to a partnership between the county government of Makueni and NARMA INCL. a Korean aerospace research institute that develops state of art delivery drones and services.
Deputy governor H.E Lucy Mulili, ECM Paul Musila (Health), Chief Officers; Stephen Ndolo (Health) and Japheth Kiminza (Environment, natural resources, mining and climate change) hosted officials from the company on Wednesday where they talked on a myriad areas of collaboration.
Eng. Suho Jung, the projects manager noted that the partnership seeks to improve on the timelines of delivering medical supplies especially those listed as emergency drugs such as anti – venom vaccines, anti – rabbis, blood among others via drone services.
The officials from NARMA INCL. are in Makueni for a recceing visit and to acquint themselves with the county’s topography before flying drones in the county.
Dr.Stan Kivai,chair Makueni Climate Change Fund Board said that they engaged the Korea International Corporation Agency (KOICA) through their resource mobilization aspect to bring the services to Makueni adding that the drones would considerably reduce the energy consumption.
Dr.Kivai was accompanied by Angeline Katunga, a member of the Climate Change Fund Board.

Makueni Human-Wildlife conflict claimants to receive compensation

Makueni Human-Wildlife conflict claimants to receive compensation from March, CS Malonza says
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr on Friday met Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Peninah Malonza to fast track pending compensation claims on human-wildlife conflict cases in Makueni.
The CS disclosed that plans are underway to settle the backlog of claims received by June 2022. She said: “We will pay the pending claims. I have already approved the budget and by march we should be starting the payments to claimants of loss of live and property cases.”
However, the Tourism CS decried of limited resources but her ministry is pushing for establishment of conservation fund as one of the ways of supplementing budget from the exchequer. Besides settling of the unpaid claims, Malonza said they were exploring ways to end human-wildlife conflict.
Malonza further announced that the government has already committed funds to electric fence the remaining section of Kitui Game Reserve bordering Masongaleni at River Athi. “I am happy that Makueni is already doing 93 Kilometres. We commit to do the remaining section that remains exposed at the kitui Game reserve,” said Malonza.
Governor Mutula sought for a collaboration with the ministry to assist the county in areas of tourism promotion, wildlife conservation and culture. Technical officers from the two teams are working together to establish specific areas of partnership ahead of official signing of their engagement.

Let’s green our schools, DG urges

Deputy governor H.E Lucy Mulili on Saturday joined the “Kilome We Want” (KWW), a Community Based Organization at Sultan Hamud primary school in Kilome for the group’s AGM and thereafter, a greening exercise.
The tree planting initiative is premised on the realization that many schools have vast compounds but seriously depleted of tree cover.
The Deputy Governor led the group in planting trees as a way of encouraging schools in Makueni to take advantage of the ongoing short rains.
Mulili being an active and duly registered member with the grouping together with the leadership of their group has championed tree planting in more than 30 area schools by building sustainable relationships with local schools and creating forums for sharing, learning and discussing issues of environmental protection.

1,000 Makueni farmers benefit from coffee seedlings

Over 1,000 farmers from Mbooni Sub-County have benefitted from coffee seedlings in a move to boost coffee farming in the area.
The county gave the Batian composite variety, the best coffee variety which is a mixture of different pure lines for that region.
The seedlings, a donation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock was flagged off by Agriculture Executive Joyce Mutua on Thursday at Nzaini Coffee factory.
She was accompanied by Executives Dr. Sonia Nzilani (Lands and Environment), Nicholas Masila Nzioka (Gender) and Mbooni MCA Hon. Alexander Mulemba, who took part in the distribution exercise across various coffee factories in the locality.
“This Batian we are giving to farmers is an improved variety and is tolerant to Coffee Berry Disease, leaf rust and has high production,” said Mutua
Hon. Mulemba called on the farmers to take advantage of the public participation forums during the budget making processes so as to allocate enough funds for coffee production.
They also took part in planting coffee seedlings within the compounds of some of the 7 coffee factories in Mbooni.
 

Makueni targets to plant 200,000 seedlings and scatter 1 Million seed balls for wild tending

Makueni targets to plant 200,000 seedlings and scatter 1 Million seed balls for wild tending; Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr has said.
On Saturday, the governor flagged by environment champions from Mbooni planted over 20,000 seedlings.
Environment and Gender Executives Dr. Sonia Nzilani and Nicholas Masila respectively led another group in Kibwezi- East in tree planting to combat the climate crisis and restore biodiversity.

Going green - Makueni

Going Green

On Saturday, several County Government officials joined forces with other Environmental Champions and greening movements to plant trees across the county. The exercise is part of the county’s wider strategy to increase forest cover, restore degraded land, protect various habitats, and build climate change adaptation and resilience in the long run.

The events were graced by CECMs Dr. Sonia Nzilani (Environment), Nicholas Masila Nzioka (Gender, Children, Youth, Sports & Social Service), Japheth Mang’oka (Devolution), Permanent Secretary Nominees Terry Mbaika (Devolution), and Ephantus Kimotho (State Department for Forestry).