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KENYA TOURISM BOARD ENGAGES LOWER EASTERN COUNTIES IN TOURISM PROMOTION

The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) on Thursday kicked off a two-day county engagement program in Wote, bringing together tourism and culture officers from Makueni, Machakos, Kitui and Nairobi counties.

The initiative aims to identify tourism opportunities and enhance local and international marketing strategies.

Makueni’s Acting CECM for Trade, Marketing, Industry, Culture and Tourism, Nicholas Nzioka, opened the event by appreciating KTB for its partnership with counties.

Nzioka highlighted the importance of proactive efforts in the competitive tourism sector. “The masters of the tourism game are fiercely competing for resources, while only the weak sit idly, waiting to be given a share,” Nzioka remarked.

The forum aims to enhance tourism, identify key focus areas to attract visitors and explore partnership opportunities.

Also present at the program were Stephen Mulei, Chief Officer for Tourism and Culture in Machakos, along with Directors Dianah Muli and Mutua Mulonzya for Tourism and Culture in Makueni.

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MAKUENI COUNTY, UNICEF OFFICIALS VISIT BUSIA COUNTY ON ECD LEARNING MISSION.

A UNICEF ECD Taskforce accompanied by a group from Makueni County led by CECM ICT, Education & Internship, Elizabeth Muli visited Busia County to engage on the promotion of holistic early childhood development through integrated interventions in health, nutrition, education, child protection and social protection.

Makueni County Governor H.E. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr continues to reaffirm his commitment to advancing ECD, emphasizing the need for collaborative, child-centered approaches to health, education and nutrition.

Makueni and Busia Counties have been identified as focus areas for UNICEF’s 2025 ECD Convergence Initiative. The visit promotes knowledge-sharing and strengthens partnerships to address common challenges in early childhood development.

Dr. Ismael Teta, Chief Nutritionist at UNICEF, thanked Busia Governor *H.E Dr Paul Otuoma* for incorporating all key components of nurturing care, and called upon both Busia and Makueni to join forces and develop a model that can be adopted across Kenya. This model, which will be called Integrated ECDE, is expected to be embraced by all other counties.

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GOVERNOR MUTULA CHAIRS STAKEHOLDERS MEETING TO PLAN NGAI NDETHYA SETTLEMENT

Makueni County, in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), has initiated plans to draw a Land Management Plan for Ngai Ndethya Game Reserve, geared towards excising 13,000 hectares for human settlement and conservancies.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. on Tuesday chaired a consultative forum in his office, which was attended by KWS Wildlife and Community Service Director Prof. Charles Musyoki, several conservancy leaders, and executive committee members among other stakeholders.

The forum aimed to set the stage for the development of a Land Use and Management Plan for the 21,000-hectare Ngai Ndethya Game Reserve. This plan would allow the county government to excise 13,000 hectares off the protected area and pave way for issuance of title deeds.

To spearhead the process, a multi-sectoral team has been established and tasked with drafting the management plan within six months.

HEALTH EXPERTS PARTNER TO COMBAT RABIES AND YELLOW FEVER IN MAKUENI COUNTY

The Department of Health Services has partnered with researchers from the University of Nairobi, KU Leuven (Belgium), and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) to engage stakeholders in developing innovative approaches to prevent rabies and yellow fever.

Makueni County is among the regions with a high burden of rabies, a vaccine-preventable zoonotic viral disease that affects the central nervous system.

As part of this collaboration, the department hosted a consultative meeting on Monday,employing participatory research methods to allow stakeholders to share diverse perspectives. These contributions will play a pivotal role in shaping policies aimed at mitigating rabies and yellow fever in the county.

Additionally, field visits will be conducted in selected healthcare facilities within the county to assess the prevalence of rabies and gather further insights for intervention strategies.

KWA NZOONGO DAM: A NEW HOPE FOR WATER AND FOOD SECURITY IN IVINGONI/NZAMBANI

Kwa Nzoongo Earth Dam, powered by the community-driven climate action program (FLLoCA), is set to revolutionize the water, agriculture, and environmental situation in Ivingoni/Nzambani Ward.

The Kshs 10M dam (funded by the World Bank and Makueni County Government) is nearly complete, with the contractor currently undertaking repair works on the embankment that breached during the recent rainy season.

Once fully operational, the dam will provide water to 400 households for both domestic use and micro-irrigation, including the establishment of vertical gardens to enhance food security.

A climate-smart agricultural demonstration farm will be set up near the dam site to educate farmers, alongside capacity-building programs on farmland and rangeland management. Additionally, efforts will be made to develop pasture through grass reseeding.

GOVERNOR MUTULA KILONZO Jr. PARTNERS WITH ILARA HEALTH TO ENHACE ULTRASOUND SERVICES IN MAKUENI

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ilara Health Limited to improve access to critical ultrasound services, particularly for pregnant women in Makueni County.

Under the agreement, Ilara Health will provide Butterfly ultrasound machines,advanced, handheld point-of-care devices capable of performing a wide range of scans that were previously carried out only at the county hospitals.

Dr. Eric Mbuthia, Chief Medical Officer at Ilara Health, noted that these devices are designed to enhance healthcare delivery by making ultrasound services more accessible at the primary care level. He highlighted that the machines can conduct up to 300 scans per month, helping to address the healthcare needs of Makueni residents.

During the event, Dr. Mbuthia demonstrated how the ultrasound devices function, emphasizing their ability to connect radiographers in Level 2 and Level 3 health facilities with specialists at the referral hospital through telemedicine for consultations on complex cases.

Governor Mutula welcomed the initiative, stating that the county plans to integrate the technology into its medical outreach programs, aiming to reach as many patients as possible. He also encouraged other counties to leverage such innovations to improve healthcare services for their populations.

This partnership is expected to greatly enhance the quality of care in Makueni, particularly for pregnant women, and strengthen the county’s healthcare infrastructure.

GOVERNOR KILONZO MEETS TRADEMARK AFRICA DELEGATION ON EXPORT HUB DEVELOPMENT

On Thursday, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. hosted a delegation from TradeMark Africa to discuss the establishment and operationalization of Export Supply Hubs (ESH) in Makueni County.

TradeMark Africa, an Aid-for-Trade organization established with the aim of growing prosperity through increased trade, was led by Acting Country Director Dr. Eng. Hannah Ngugi.

The discussion centered on market facilitation aimed at streamlining horticultural export supply chains by establishing hubs to serve as county and regional aggregation centers, thereby improving the efficiency of horticultural product exports.

During the meeting, Dr. Ngungi praised Makueni’s value addition efforts, highlighting the processing of mango juice as a key initiative that enhances the economic value of local produce.

Governor Kilonzo expressed his dedication to partnering with Trademark Africa and assured his government’s unwavering support in advancing agricultural development within the county.

This partnership aims to boost Makueni’s competitiveness, increase export earnings, create jobs, ensure regulatory compliance and save foreign exchange.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili, Trademark Africa’s Director of Standards Andrew Edewa, and CECM Joyce Mutua among other officials.

GOVERNOR KILONZO JR. ENGAGES DSIF ON FUNDING FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER PROJECTS.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. on Wednesday met with Madam Tina Kollerup Hansen, Senior Vice President of the Investment Fund for Developing Countries under Danida Sustainable Infrastructure Finance (DSIF), in Nairobi.

DSIF, a Danish Organization, provides funding for infrastructure projects in developing countries, focusing on sustainability as a key pillar.

Tina expressed interest in Makueni’s water harvesting modes and pledged to support the county with feasibility studies and funding for sustainable water management.

During the discussions, Governor Kilonzo affirmed his government’s commitment in development cooperation to improve the quality of life for Makueni residents.

The meeting was attended by DSIF Investment Director Andrew Githaiga and County officials, including Eng. David Makau (Water), Eng. Naomi Nthambi (Energy), Felistus Mutune (Office of the Governor), and Deputy Director Gloria Katheu Mulwa (Partnerships).

MAKUENI STEPS UP WATER GOVERNANCE REFORMS

Makueni’s Water and Sanitation Department is spearheading a series of governance reforms in the county’s Water Service Providers to ensure residents have access to reliable and sufficient water.

On Wednesday, the County Executive Committee Member for Water, John Kieti, met with the leadership of KIMAWASCO in Kibwezi to address the company’s operational challenges, including the loss of 52 percent of water supplied in the form of unaccounted-for water.

The department is employing a multi-pronged approach to combat this issue, including securing funds to automate all water draw-off points, reducing commercial water supply losses, and enacting a water act that will criminalize infrastructure vandalism.

CECM ELIZABETH MULI TOURS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN KIIMA KIU KALANZONI WARD

CECM ICT, Education and Internship, Elizabeth Muli toured Kiima Kiu Kalanzoni Ward to evaluate the progress of various ongoing projects aimed at enhancing Education and Skill development in the region.

The visit underscores H.E Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr’s commitment to improving the lives of Makueni County residents through strategic investments in quality Education and Infrastructure. By focusing on transformative projects, Governor Mutula seeks to empower communities, promote economic growth, and ensure access to modern learning facilities for all.

Among the key initiatives inspected was the construction of the Kwa Ndeke ECDE center, designed to offer a modern, supportive environment for early childhood education.

CECM Elizabeth also toured the newly completed Kisse ECDE facility, which is already providing high-quality early education and addressing the needs of the surrounding community.

Additionally, she visited Enzai Community Technical Training Institute (CTTI), a vital hub equipping young people with practical skills to enhance their employability and drive economic empowerment across the region.