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Makueni steps up establishment of Food Safety Systems

In a bid to ensure quality agricultural products for both domestic and export markets, Makueni has shifted gears to building food safety systems.

According to governor Kivutha Kibwana, the aim of this campaign is to promote public health, and protecting the consumers against health hazards posed by unsafe agricultural products.

To achieve this feat, Makueni has partnered with Micro Enterprise Support Programme Trust (MESPT), and secured funding from the European Union through DANIDA to implement the campaign dubbed AgriFI Food Safety Programme.

At a meeting in Nairobi on Thursday between the Governor and officials from MESPT and the Royal Danish Embassy, it was agreed the programme will target three major value chains namely; Aquaculture, Dairy and horticulture.

MESPT acting Chief Executive Officer Charles Nyawade said the programme will involve among others:

Supporting the County Government in testing, surveillance and enforcement of Sanitary and Phyto Sanitary (SPS) regulations at the county level. This includes setting up of testing labs and provision of testing and surveillance kits and equipment.

Development and dissemination of value chain-based extension curricula modules, integrating the compliance to Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) regulations.

Drive the consumer sensitization on food safety.

MESPT will also support development of the Agricultural Training Centre at Kwa Kathoka as one of the country’s model Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education Training (ATVET) centre.

The centre will be key in offering a holistic capacity building of all agricultural value chain actors especially farmers and extension officers.

According to Nyawade, the centre has already received two million shillings for basic infrastructural installations, while the county government has already established training infrastructure such as an aquatic hatchery, a fish farm as well as irrigation farm.

ICT and Development

10,000 Makueni County residents are set to be empowered with ICT skills by global technology giant, Google.

The Makueni beneficiaries are part of 10 million people Google is equipping with relevant ICT skills in Africa in the next three years.

This plan was revealed on Friday by the country director of Google during a ceremony to commission the training which Google will undertake in collaboration with Makueni County government.

“The 10, 000 people set to be equipped with various ICT skills include the 1,500 people who have already studied basic computer skills under the county government’s Tusomeei Computer Nduani programme,” deputy Govenor Adelina Mwau said while welcoming Google.

Governor Kivutha Kibwana thanked Google for choosing Makueni as the first county where the program will start.

“The online space creates tremendous job opportunities which can be tapped to address youth unemployment. We shall work with Google to make Makueni a model county on ICT enabled job opportunities”, Kibwana said.

Increased power connection to boost county business fortunes

Makueni electricity grid is expected to rise to 70% from the current 30% following a discussion to increase power connection to several institutions in the county.

In a discussion held on Thursday between Makueni County Governor Kivutha Kibwana, her deputy Adelina Mwau and a delegation from the energy and KPLC sectors led by Dr. Fredrick Kasomi, it was agreed that several institutions and facilities without power will be connected.

Facilities targeted for connection include health centres, County Technical Training Institutes, market centres, primary and secondary schools, street lighting, and boreholes of at least 10 Cubic Meter-capacity 

Densification of power supply across the county will stimulate a desired economic growth as well as create job opportunities by allowing more day-and-night time stretches to conduct businesses.

The teams agreed to complete data mapping, costing and designs within a period of one month.

Makueni deal a blow to non-communicable diseases

Makueni has yet again registered another first on its healthcare provision following signing of a multilateral agreement to combat non-communicable diseases in the county.

The county government in collaboration with Sandoz Pharmaceutical, Medtronic Inc and Management Sciences for Health, a non-profit corporation shall deliver an end-to-end non-communicable disease care model to achieve improved patient outcomes.

The 2-year partnership deal was arrived at on Friday by Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana, Cluster Head Norvatis Social Business Dr. Nathan Mulure, Medtronics Regional health head Africa, Chemutai Langat and Management Sciences for Health Country project director Ndinda Kusu at the governor’s office in Wote.

The care model will include; awareness and education on the chronic diseases; screening for the diseases in the community; capacity building and health system strengthening through training of community healthcare workers and volunteers; diagnosis through existing, identified health facilities and provision of quality and affordable medications.

Governor Kibwana welcomed the deal saying it was going to strengthen the County’s Community Health Strategy as well as revolutionize the Universal Health Care program.

Makueni CEC for Health Dr. Mulwa who witnessed the signing of the partnership disclosed that the County is the first to sign the deal. The model is expected to be rolled out in Nyeri and Kakamega counties.

The County Health Chief Officer, Dr. Patrick Musyoki said, “This partnership has come at the right time. NCDs are silent killers causing 55% of deaths in hospitals yet most of the African countries have not taken up the challenge.”

Ukambani to benefit from agribusiness initiative

Farmers from Makueni, Machakos and Kitui counties are set to benefit from an irrigation agribusiness program, an initiative geared towards enhancing food security through irrigated agriculture.

The church community based project, launched at Vyulya village in Machakos is a brainchild of ABC Archbishop in charge of East Africa Timothy Ndambuki and supported by TIMADA LTD and Church Capacity Building and Support Centre (CCCBSC).

The program was unveiled by Archbishop Ndambuki, Makueni County Governor Kivutha Kibwana and Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Maliti on Wednesday.

According to the Archbishop, a successful model, tried and proven in Vyulya shall be replicated in the South Eastern Kenya Economic Bloc (SEKEB) to create employment and promote agribusiness across Ukambani and beyond.

“We want this to move to the three counties and we are urging them to walk with us. This will help us improve food security as well as create employment to our youth and women,” said Ndambuki.

The program, to adopt the Israel Moshav model, will entail training of farmers by experts on agricultural skills and supplied with various farm equipment and inputs. The farmers will further form a cooperative society that will help them market their produce as well as link them to export opportunities.

Governor Kibwana hailed the initiative as an economy boost that will not only benefit the people of Vyulya but also the entire Ukambani region through SEKEB.

Makueni hosts regional drama festivals

Makueni is playing host to this year’s Eastern regional primary school music festivals at Makueni boys high school with a theme, ‘’Enhancing national unity, cohesion and integration.’’ 

Gracing the festivals on Monday, governor Kibwana said there is need to foster the spirit of nationhood through music and education.

The festivals brings together all the counties in the Eastern region namely; Tharaka Nithi, Machakos, Embu, Meru, Isiolo, Kitui, Makueni and Marsabit.

The county has become a top spot for such events in what the organizers term as hospitable environment and huge support by the County Government.

Makueni Inks deal with WFP to promote Agriculture

Makueni County has penned a deal with World Food Programme (WFP) to promote Sustainable Food Systems in the County.

The five-year program, based on a 50-50 funding for multi sectoral value chains development, was signed by governor Kivutha Kibwana and WFP deputy country director Lara Fossi in Nairobi on Friday.

The program targets smallholder producers, youth, market and supply chain actors, food-insecure and vulnerable populations to benefit from sustainable, resilient inclusive food systems and meeting food and nutrition needs by 2023.

The deal seeks to among others;

Promote the scaling up of climate resilient technologies and best practices for improved and sustainable Smallholder food production systems;

Enhance sustainable rangeland management for improved livestock production and enhanced community resilience;

Strengthen the resilience capacity of communities on climate risk management through livelihood diversification and linkage to financial and insurance services;

Improve market and supply chain linkages, including reduction of post-harvest losses and opportunities for value addition and;

To strengthen technical and institutional capacity to deliver sustainable hunger solutions and building community resilience.

Some of the expected outcomes of the partnership are:

Scaling of rainwater harvesting (RWH) and irrigation management technologies;

Rehabilitation and Management of 10,000 acres of degraded rangeland;

Increased access to safe and reliable water for both domestic, livestock and irrigation use and;

Strengthening of community capacity to maintain and sustain water structures.

By end of the five years, the deal will have benefitted at least 44, 000 residents directly and over 200,000 indirectly.

The range of activities as outlined in the deal will cover; Kathonzweni, Kitise/Kithuki, Mavindini, Masongaleni, Ivingoni/Nzambani, Makindu, Kikumbulyu North, Kikumbulyu South, Kalawa and Kiima Kiu/Kalanzoni wards.

Makueni to pilot Telemedicine health provision

By Onesmus Nzioka

Makueni has yet again made enviable strides in its healthcare provision by venturing into Telemedicine.

Telemedicine is the remote delivery of healthcare services, such as health assessments or consultations over the telecommunications infrastructure.

The program, launched at Thange Africa Brotherhood Church, Thange ward, is a brainchild of the ABC church through the National Council of Churches of Kenya in partnership with the government of Makueni County.

The program, dubbed Comprehensive Community Healthcare Initiative (CCHI), was unveiled by ABC Archbishop in charge of East Africa Timothy Ndambuki and governor Kivutha Kibwana on Wednesday.

The program entails a mobile internet linked multi diagnosis kit based at Thange and doctors based at the Makueni County Referral Hospital, who are linked into the system through installed software on their side.

The system is both web and android based such that enlisted doctors will get alerts of booked cases from the remote health centre on their mobile phones as per their schedules of assigned duties.

Patients will walk into the Thange health facility, their diagnosis carried out by a resident nurse and the results relayed in real time to the doctors who will then analyze and prescribe the proper medication to be administered by the nurse at Thange.

For complicated cases, the system enlisted doctors will be able to seek further consultations from more qualified doctors across the globe on behalf of their patients.

Patients will also have a face-to-face consultation with the doctors, through teleconferencing, who will then direct the resident nurse(s) on what tests to carry out.

Governor Kibwana has directed the county health department to dedicate a unit for the telemedicine program on a 24-hour basis to make it work.

County Health Executive Andrew Mulwa has announced that all the county level 4 hospitals will be linked into the program so as to address a broad range of health services.

Makueni Launches Telemedicine

According to Archbishop Ndambuki, the program will be rolled out in the whole of Ukambani under the South Eastern Kenya Economic Bloc (SEKEB) if it succeeds in Makueni.

The program is enabled by a digital communication network and applications provider registered in Kenya under the name DIGLOSO run by a US based Kenyan named John Musau.

Makueni has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the company for extensive roll out of the program.

Makueni ASK show lauded for its innovativeness

Makueni Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau together with her Machakos counterpart Eng. Francis Maliti on Friday officially opened the 2019 Makueni Agricultural Satellite Show at Makindu saying it is a good platform to promote agriculture for local farmers.

The two toured several exhibition stands where Makueni farmers showcased agricultural products, variety breeds of livestock and technological innovations. This year, the show received 85 exhibitors compared to 46 of last year.

“In 2016, the county government of Makueni endorsed the idea of starting our own show which was triggered by the realization that when agriculture performs well, economy grows automatically. Again, we are aware that we don’t have adequate extension officers, hence a show of GIANT classroom for farmers,” Mwau noted.

The DG further noted that since 2014, the government had utilised Sh 60 million in livestock value chain to upgrade livestock value as well as implementing disease control programme.

Mwau also announced that the county government has set aside Sh 7 million to set up an irrigation scheme in order to boost agricultural potential in Makueni.

DG Maliti while appreciating the county for the bold step to initiate an own local show, urged farmers to prioritise growing of drought resistant crops as one way of mitigating the effects of climate change.

He said: “We have recently noticed that the effects of climate change are real. As farmers, you should prioritise growing of traditional food crops such as sorghum, millet, cassava and green grams.”

The show which will close on Saturday was also graced by senior county officials from Makueni and Machakos as well as representatives from the Agricultural Society of Kenya.

Makueni inks a deal with Equality Now Africa on Gender Violence Response

Makueni County has inked a three-year partnership with Equality Now Africa, an international women’s rights organisation, to promote a multi-sectoral approach to response, prevention and management of Sexual Gender Based Violence in the County.

The deal, signed by Governor Kivutha Kibwana and Equality Now Director Africa Office Faiza Mohamed and witnessed by Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau on Thursday seeks to respond to and manage SGBV which is on the rise in Makueni with women and children most affected.

Kibwana termed GBV as a silent killer saying that several children were hurting and a lot of care is needed while handling their cases.

“GBV is a silent killer. We think there are so many kids hurting and this calls for professionalism while dealing with their cases because they can break or make their lives,” Kibwana noted.

As part of the MoU, Equality Now Africa will offer capacity building to county personnel on gender rights and the attendant legal framework providing for and protecting these rights; support and facilitate experiential learning of county personnel to design, plan and implement interventions to address sexual and gender based violence in the county.

The women’s rights organisation will also offer technical support in the development and review of county policies and legislation on gender mainstreaming and Sexual Gender Based violence policies and legislation including on Sexual and Gender Based Violence Management and Control.

The County Government of Makueni will, in accordance with the deal,support the development of key county policy and legislation addressing Sexual and Gender BasedViolence,gendermainstreaming and finance activities towards ending sexual violence in schools.