Office of the Governor

Meeting with the Senate Committee on County Public Investments and Special Funds on Issues Raised by the Auditor General Report on Financial Statements of Makueni County Emergency Fund, Youth, Persons with Disabilities and Table Banking, Groups Empowerment Fund and the Makueni Bursary Fund for the Financial years ending 30th June 2019/20,2020/2021and 2021/2022

1. Emergency Fund
   The issue raised was Purchase of a Generator by the Executive for Wote Water and sewerage Company (WOWASCO) in the financial year 2021/2022.

The intervention was done during the second wave of Covid 19 and just before the Devolution Conference.

2. Bursary Fund
   The issues raised here were mainly on lack of proper legislation and unclear guidelines on bursaries and Scholarships in the years under consideration

The County is in the process of enacting the Bursaries and Scholarships Legislation which has been submitted to the County Assembly awaiting enactment.
The regulations have also been reviewed to give clear guideline on the criteria to be used in Bursaries and Scholarships issuance.

3. The Makueni Empowerment Fund
   The fund had faced high default rate on the loan advanced, had a skewed Memorandum of Understanding with the Bank and operated under a manual system leading to questions whether it is a going concern.

There major interventions after exiting the skewed memorandum.
a) The partnership with World Food Programme has seen the reconstruction of the lending structural aspects of the fund through capacity building.
b) The Fund, in partnership with Safaricom, has set out to co-create a system aimed at digitizing the whole lending experience
c) The Fund through the Department has partnered with Village Enterprise to develop The Makueni County Ultra-Poor Graduation Policy.
d) Enactment of an Empowerment Fund Act
e) Unutilised funds have been put on an interest earning account

Makueni has been feted by the Institute of Internal Auditors of Kenya for achieving the highest standards in internal governance and risk management.

Makueni scooped position one in the County Government and Assembly category in the inaugural awards ceremony staged in Nairobi.

This recognition reflects the county’s commitment to upholding high standards and innovation in internal auditing practices.

The Auditor General, Ms Nancy Gathungu who was the keynote speaker noted that the awards were to recognize organizations and individuals that had achieved high standards in Internal Audit Governance, innovations in the adoption of Internal Auditing standards, the International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF), Risk Management Framework and high-performing audit teams.

Makueni County Executive Audit Committee chairperson, Felix Kyengo (CPA) received the award on behalf of the county.

On Thursday, the three Ukambani Governors Mutula Kilonzo Jnr, Wavinya Ndeti and Julius Malombe held the 3rd summit meeting in Makueni where a number of strategies were drawn to improve quality of life for residents of the region.

Key highlights of the meeting include:

1. The three governors received SEKEB’s Economic Blueprint and Investment Plan from a consultant . The Bloc will initiate implementation of the First Phase of the Investment Plan within the next three years.

2. They called on the national government to address the massive pollution of River Athi, which poses a serious threat to the health of the Nation, particularly for the residents of the three SEKEB Counties. They urged for measures to force polluters to bear the responsibility by being compelled to pay reparations for the damages caused to our communities.

3. The three governors agreed to set up an abattoir in one of the counties with an area for value addition on hides, skins and other products through leather processing and other value additions. A joint Feeds’ Processing Zone will also be considered alongside agribusiness funding through the respective ministries of Trade.

4. To enhance the ease of doing business within the Bloc, the three county governments shall find a formula to harmonize and standardize county tariffs and licences.

5. The three counties have resolved to each invest in specialized health services in our main hospitals. Kitui will establish a Renal Centre, while Cancer and Trauma Centres will be built in Machakos and Makueni Counties, respectively. The Trauma Centre will help alleviate the suffering of the road accident victims along the busy Nairobi-Mombasa Highway.

6. To this effect, the Bloc is in the process of finalizing the development of its 10-year Vision Strategy which will guide in leveraging on economies of scale and concerted efforts to achieve sustainable development for the people.

Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti takes over as the chairperson of the South Eastern Kenya Economic Bloc during a Summit meeting held in Makueni on Thursday. Kitui Governor Julius Malombe is the outgoing chairperson.

Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti and her Kitui counterpart Julius Malombe in Makueni for the 3rd Summit meeting. They are hosted by Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr

Former Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana pays a surprise visit to Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. The duo discussed Makueni matters and politics.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr in his office on Thursday met a delegation of herders from the counties of Baringo, Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, Pokot, Turkana who had pitched camp in Makueni County on a three-day alternative livelihood learning tour and to experience Makueni.

The delegation comprised of 72 youth herders and reformed cattle rustlers from the North Rift region who toured successful youth-led initiatives supported by the county government.

The lessons learnt from the tour can serve as an effective approach to disengage these youths from violence and demobilise them from the perennial cattle raids and conflicts that have impeded development in the North Rift region.

Gratitude to the International Organization for Peacebuilding (INTERPEACE) Interpeace and other stakeholders, including the Parklands Baptist Church, Love EMBRACED initiative for facilitating and supporting the participation of these 72 youths in this exploration and learning experience.