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500 Makueni girl students to benefit from Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Career Mentorship

At least 500 girls from six secondary schools in Makueni will benefit from a one year mentorship and skills development in a bid to take up Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and careers.

The mentorship programme is courtesy of a project dubbed GIRLS IN STEM launched on Monday at Mbooni Girls National School through a partnership between Youth and Success Association (YASA) and the Government of Makueni County.

The project will involve outstanding professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) interacting with girl students in form two in an intensive career mentorship to encourage and support them to achieve their full potentials in STEM.

According to Mildred Mudany, the Chief Executive Officer Help Reach Africa, who holds a PhD in Tropical Medicine, the project aims to achieve among others: Ensure higher participation and leadership of girls and Women on STEM; To open up well paying career opportunities for girls and women; To build self confidence among girls and women; Increase awareness and participation of girls and women in STEM and Innovation as well as increase the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (1, 2, 4, 5, 8 and 17)

The project was launched during an occasion to celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in STEM, and was graced by among others: Governor Kivutha Kibwana, County First Lady Nazi Kivutha, KenGen Chief Quality Engineer Catherine Nyambala.

As we celebrate women and girls in STEM, we have come to stimulate interest from the earliest years, to combat stereotypes and engage girls across the County, in the nation and globally to pursue STEM careers and to mentor our girls and young women to change mindsets towards the STEM career”, said governor Kibwana.

Kaunguni residents urge government to prioritize water projects

Over 500 Residents of Kaunguni – Muuni Sub- Ward in Nguumo Ward have unanimously prioritized and proposed  a mega Water project in a bid to enhance agricultural and livestock productivity for improved livelihoods in their area.

In a public participation forum on Thursday presided by Makueni Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau and attended by Gender and Trade  Executives Godfrey Makau and Sebastian Kyoni respectively and a section of Makueni County Assembly members led by MCA Alfred Mutuku, the residents identified water scarcity as the major challenge.

They said if the right interventions are put in place then the problem would be resolved and water network widened to reach  many who lack access today.

Further they lauded the department of health services as the best performing in the county for implementation of the universal health care that has seen the county citizenry access medical services at no cost.

“The department of health is leading in the county because we are being treated for free in our facilities. We urge the other department to step so that we can grow together in every sector in our county, ” said Mutua Masai, a representative from Kaunguni-East cluster.

The DG said: “Like I have said in other forums, we are focusing on mega projects that can impact a larger population. This is what we are calling the paradigm shift.”

Budget 2019 Public Participation

[vc_row][vc_column][ult_buttons btn_title=”Contribute on the Budget Portal” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makueni.go.ke%2F2019-budget%2F|title:2019%20Budget%20Portal||” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#116cb2″ btn_hover=”ubtn-center-hz-bg” btn_anim_effect=”ulta-skew” btn_bg_color_hover=”#3f83bf” btn_title_color_hover=”#e8cc51″ icon_size=”32″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_font_family=”font_family:Open Sans Condensed|font_call:Open+Sans+Condensed|variant:700″ btn_font_style=”font-weight:700;” btn_font_size=”desktop:20px;”][vc_column_text]2019 Public Participation Schedule[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Makindu residents endorse Ziwani township Plan

Makindu residents have endorsed an urban development plan for Ziwani area in the outskirts of Makindu town.

This paves way for approval by the County Executive Committee and the assembly before allocation of plots.

The plan, covering 81 acres of land curved from Kiboko B settlement Scheme and earmarked for a proposed trading centre, was drawn by the County Government’s Lands department following a request by the National Lands Commission.

The residents accredited the plan on Monday during a public participation forum on the same led by governor Kivutha Kibwana and NLC Commissioner Rose Musyoka.

The plan has identified 288 plots for Commercial, residential and office space, while 30 plots have been earmarked for Public utilities among them a school, health facility, cemetery, sporting facility among others.

The latest development will allow plot allottees access title deeds and subsequently development of the area which has been idle and prone to grabbing by land cartels.

Kibwana and the NLC commissioner also ordered for the planning of an earmarked  67 acre trading centre at Ikoyo, between Makindu and Kiboko, which has witnessed incessant controversies by people claiming illegal ownership of part of the public land.

Application for Ajira Digital Program

The Department of Education, Youth, Sports and ICT has collaborated with the national government through the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (MoICT) to implement Ajira Digital Program. The initiative seeks to promote online work in Makueni County. Interested participants should apply by filling the form below. A registration fee of Ksh. 500 will be payable upon selection.

For more details, visit https://www.makueni.go.ke/ajira-digital-program

  • February 4, 2019 in ICT

Makueni set to partner with the National Government on youth and women empowerment

The Government of Makueni County is set to partner with the National government through the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs on initiatives geared towards empowering the youth and women in the county.

This was agreed after Governor Kivutha Kibwana and his cabinet on Friday held lengthy discussions with Chief Administrative Secretary for the state ministry, Rachael Shebesh on behalf of her Cabinet secretary Margaret Kobia and identified a number of possible initiatives and programs to partner on.

Shebesh, while lauding Makueni for its outstanding performance in various areas expressed her interest specifically on partnership that impacts the lives of young people citing low uptake of the Youth Enterprise Fund in the county.

“I am interested in seeing that we touch the lives of our young people through the youth fund. It will be a win-win situation for both governments. We have the capacity to fund to even  a tune of Sh 10 million in a month to the youths through the fund,” Shebesh said.

Governor Kibwana said that his government will be more proactive in creating awareness to women and youth on the opportunities available for their empowerment including the funds adding that signing of a Memorandum of Understanding will be ripe after areas of priorities are refined by the two teams.

He Said: “We want to be very active in reaching out to our youth and women so that we increase the uptake of the youth and women funds in the County. Once the two teams on the ground refine on the areas of priority, then we will be ready to sign an MoU.”

Later in the day, CAS Shebesh together with Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau issued Women Enterprise Fund cheques worth Sh 2.9 million to 100 women at Wote.

Community stakeholders inducted on development best practices

At least 2000 development stakeholders from across the county on Thursday were inducted on development best practices geared towards mindset change for sustainable development.

According to Governor Kibwana who presided over the event at ATC-Kwakathoka, the paradigm shift in development will entail moving from doing small projects everywhere with little impact to medium and mega projects and programmes with bigger impact.

This is aimed at intensifying the trickledown effect of projects and programmes and achieving economies of scale. This will be coupled with the value for money principle.

Kibwana further noted that it makes economic sense when projects and programmes are jointly funded in regions that experience the same development needs and have both similar geographic and demographic characteristics.

This involves moving from ward or Sub-County specific kind of development to inter-ward or inter-sub-county development implementation.

One of the key objectives of this development paradigm shift is moving from focusing on the completeness of a project to the utility and benefits accruing to the citizens.

“We are not only interested in the completeness of projects but their impacts. We must make our programmes and projects meet the needs of our citizens, it is a commitment we have resolved to deliver,” said Kibwana.

The event was also graced by deputy governor Adelina Mwau, Makueni MP Daniel Maanzo, members of the County Executive Committee and the County Assembly.

Makueni set to reap big from proposed digital media city project at Konza technopolis

Makueni county, and especially the youth, is set to reap big from aproposed Konza Digital Media City (DMC) to be established at the Konza Technopolis.

The media city will be modelled after the Sangam Digital Media City in Seoul and other similar cities in Korea.

According to Jaehoon Lee, a lead pre-feasibility research consultant of the proposed project and lecturer at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Korea, the Digital Media City Project will mainly incorporate gaming, animation, filming, photography and entertainment centres as one of the sectors under the Knowledge Economy and Innovation pillar of Konza Technopolis Project.

Lee is leading a team of Korean researchers and ICT experts in a six month feasibility study of the proposed project and subsequently development of a Masterplan and Implementation of the Digital Media City.

On Wednesday, the Korean delegation held a consultative forum at Makueni’s Nairobi Liaison office with governor Kivutha Kibwana and KotDA Chief Executive Officer John Tanui to agree on how to partner through information and logistics sharing during the feasibility and implementation of the project.

Tanui said the Konza Digital Media City (K-DMC) is proposed to provide an excellent digital media and entertainment ecosystem for research, training, propagation of new technologies, innovation and production of content with the African themes and perspectives for the global markets. 

He said the proposed project will leverage on a robust smart city infrastructure to attract leading global investors in the sector, thereby creating employment and boosting the national economy.

K-DMC project objectives

When complete, the project is expected to create over 50,000 direct jobs to the youth, with Makueni taking up a substantial chunk of these offers.

The project is proposed to host among other segments of the industry:

World class film and music production studios; Production studios for Photography, Advertisements, Cinema and TV Industry; Animation and Computer gaming industries; A film/multi-media campus; Theme Parks
; Specialized photography and filming facilities; Modern sound production studios and film labs
; Sound design studios and color correction facilities.

Governor Kibwana said his administration will work closely with the implementers of this project for the benefit of the Makueni youth. 

Kibwana also pledged to lobby his colleague governors Charity Ngilu, Alfred Mutua and Joseph Ole Lenku to take key roles so the region can benefit from this project under the South Eastern Kenya Economic Bloc (SEKEB) framework.

Eng. Tanui has said the  Media City project has the potential to go into the pipeline for projects with funding consideration by Korea Exim Bank

Over 50 cleft lip and palate patients set to benefit from free surgical clinic

Over 50 cleft lip and palate patients from Makueni are set to undergo free surgical and rehabilitative treatment at Makueni Level 5 Hospital courtesy of the county government, Smile Train Africa and BelaRisu Foundation.

Health Executive Dr Mulwa who officially opened the 3-day surgical camp said the program is one of the major steps towards implementation of the Makueni universal health cover that ensures accessibility of health services to all.

“Today we have a free camp for patients with cleft lip and palate. This  program is in line with our universal health care which ensures that no one is left behind in accessing health services,” Mulwa said.

Smile Train Africa Program Director Jane Ngige noted that the camp is in accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding signed between them and the county government two years ago that is geared towards promotion of health through the surgical camps and capacity building of medical professionals.

She said: ” Two years ago, we signed an MoU with the County government and that is why we have today’s camp. The main objectives of the agreement is to help train medical professionals as well as help children with cleft lips and palates in Makueni.”

Health Chief Officer Dr Patrick Musyoki said plans are underway to devolve the surgical camps to Sub-County hospitals so that patients can access the services easily and have them run after every 3 months.

Makueni farmers to benefit from ‘Ndengu’ promotion

Makueni green gram farmers are set to reap big from the crop as the national government steps in to promote the crop as a model one for the county.

This was announced by Principal Secretary for Agriculture Hamadi Boga on Thursday during a county farmers’ field day at Kwa Kathoka KALRO farm, which the PS presided over on behalf of Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri.

The event was organized by the County Government in collaboration with the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS) and was meant to educate farmers on smart agricultural practices and the appropriate seeds for maximum productivity.

Boga said the people of Makueni would be given an opportunity to choose one model crop that the ministry would promote through farmer capacity building, marketing and other value chain linkages to ensure maximum profitability.

The farmers, under the guardianship of the Agriculture Executive Committee Member Lawrence Nzunga picked ‘Ndengu’ as their preferred model crop.

Governor Kibwana, who hosted the PS, said out of the county government’s support and that of its partners, the acreage under pulses ( Beans, cowpeas, green grams and Dolichos) in the county has increased to 255,432 hectares with an estimated value of over Sh 8 Billion.

Kibwana said the County is now focusing on grain processing with plans a foot to construct the Makindu Integrated Grain Processing Facility to add value to pulses and enable farmers access both local and export markets.