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KIBWANA UNVEILS CANCER UNIT AT MAKUENI REFERRAL HOSPITAL
Makueni County on Thursday opened doors to its first cancer treatment and management clinic at the Makueni Referral Hospital, Wote.
The clinic is courtesy of the EMPOWER PROJECT, a partnership bringing together Roche, International Cancer Institute (ICI), Women for Cancer and African Cancer Foundation.
The County First Ladies Association (CFLA) was key in realizing the clinic by mobilizing all the partners and resources including the county government and Family Bank which donated five Chemotherapy chairs for the cancer unit.
Speaking at the event, governor Kivutha Kibwana said his administration will commit adequate budgetary provisions for essential supplies and human resources to ensure that the rising burden of cancer in Makueni is reversed.
He said that before establishment of the unit, patients used to travel to Kenyatta National Hospital and private facilities for diagnosis and treatment of cancer. This, he said, was expensive and time consuming. It was associated with delays, with patients sometimes missing treatment due to long queues as well as lack of follow up and poor outcomes
So far, the county government has seconded an Oncologist Pharmacist, 2 clinical officers, one nurse and one records officer for the coordination of the unit. Further, it is in the process of recruiting 2 oncology clinical officers, 2 oncology nurses, a radiologist and a pathologist to support the increasing traffic at the centre.
Makueni becomes the fifth county to unveil the EMPOWER CANCER CLINIC after Kisumu, Bungoma, Meru and Taita Taveta.
CFLA chairperson Maria Mbeneka (Laikipia) said the aim of pushing for establishment of the cancer clinics in counties is to enhance early cancer detection, treatment and management while reducing the prohibitive costs of treatment.
The event at the Mother and Child Hospital in Wote was graced by 15 county first ladies among them host Nazi Kivutha, Edna Lenku-Kajiado, Sarah Tunai-Narok, Saline Barchok-Bomet, Wato Kuti-Isiolo, Elizabeth Kinyanjui-Nakuru and Sheila Sang-Nandi.
Others were Priscilla Murungi- Meru, Priscilla Oparanya-Kakamega, Christine Mvurya-Kwale, Dorothy Nyong’o- Kisumu, Stellah Samboja- Taita Taveta and Ivy Bunei of Baringo County.
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Enhancing Food Security in Makueni
Governor Kivutha Kibwana and his deputy Adelina Mwau on Thursday flagged off 30MT of maize seed worth Kshs. 7.5M for distribution to 15,000 farmers across the county a head of the October-December short rains.
The consignment, which is support from Bayer East Africa, is part of the county government’s efforts working with its partners to enhance food security initiatives.
The initiatives target to support 47,382 farm families, 75 youth groups and 118 other groups with seeds, seedlings and equipment to improve food and nutrition security in the county. The target beneficiaries are spread across all the thirty wards in Makueni County in line with the county government’s philosophy of “O kila nyumba kalila.”
The overall goal of the initiatives, governor Kibwana said, is to cushion the farmer against the effects of covid-19 pandemic by ensuring availability of quality seed and seedlings for enhanced productivity and profitability at farm level. This is to be achieved through a collaborative effort between the government and stakeholders as follows:
1. Bayer E.A, supporting with 30,000 Kgs of maize seed (worth KShs 7.5M), targeting 15,000 (500 per ward) beneficiaries
2. Kenya Cereal Enhancement Programme – Climate Resilient Agricultural Livelihood (KCEP-CRAL), a government programme, targeting to reach out to 5,297 beneficiaries with an assortment of maize/beans and sorghum/green grams seeds as well as other farm inputs (ripping service, hermetic bags, tarpaulin, fertilizers). The programme will also support 20 staff with motorbikes to enhance their mobility when offering extension services.
3. Small-scale Irrigation and Value Addition Project (SIVAP) targeting 540 beneficiaries with beans, cow peas, green grams, dolichos lab, millets, and sorghum seeds for demonstrations and bulking in the project areas (Utangwa, Kyemwee Irrigation schemes and Muoni/Kikuu Catchment – Makindu, Nguu/Masumba, Emali/Mulala, Mbitini and Kasikeu wards).
4. The National Irrigation Board (NIB) is supporting the initiative with 7,000 avocado seedlings which will be distributed to Kilungu, Mbitini, Ukia, Mbooni, Kithungo/Kitundu, and Tulimani wards. (10 seedlings per farmer).
5. The Government of Makueni County (GMC) will support the initiative with 10,000 avocado seedlings and 1,500 macadamia seedlings under ward projects in Mukaa and Ilima wards. (10 seedlings per farmer).
6. The Agriculture and Food Authority’s Nuts & Oil Crops will support the initiative with 5,000 cashew nut seedlings which will be distributed to 500 beneficiaries across the county at 10 seedlings per farmer.
7. The Makueni Youth Agribusiness Empowerment Project (MYAEP) will support 60 youth groups as follows;
a. 10 groups with beehives, honey harvesting kits, honey extracting machines,
b. 10 groups with chicken,
c. 20 groups with pumps, drip irrigation kits, vegetable seeds and farm inputs (fertilizers and agrochemicals).
d. 20 groups for capacity building (skills development)
e. The project has also supported 8 staff with motorbikes to enhance their mobility when offering extension services.
Makueni, World Vision Partnership to Quench Kalawa Ward
Kalawa ward is arguably one of the driest parts of Makueni county, perpetually battling water scarcities.
On a normal day, residents have to trek a considerable distance to fetch water from points that the county government has continued to develop across the expansive ward.
A partnership between the county government and World Vision is however projected to change the above scenario and make the ward one of the water secure wards in the county.
The two institutions are co-funding a project dubbed Athi-Kalawa Sanitation Project meant to distribute water to 80 % of the ward area.
The project involves pumping water from Athi River to Wii hills, construction of a treatment plant, construction of a 500 cubic meters reservoir and three distribution lines (Kalawa, Miangeni and Syotuvali) for communal water circulation.
World Vision national director Lilian Dodzo who paid a courtesy call to governor Kivutha Kibwana on Tuesday, to discuss the project progress, said the project purposes to cut the distance to the nearest water point from households to a maximum of 500 meters.
According to County Executive Committee member for Water and Sanitation Rosemary Maundu, the project is 30 percent done and phase 1 must be complete before end of the year 2020.
Makueni’s Tourism Sector set for Revenue Boom
The tourism sector in Makueni is set for a major overhaul with plans a foot to make the county a hub of tourist attraction, and the sector a major revenue generator for both county and the country.
With support from the National Museums of Kenya, the county government is embarking on an ambitious exercise of documentation, conservation, management, promotion and restoration of heritage sites in the county.
The management of heritage will include the construction of heritage centers and museums, the re-landscaping of open cultural and natural sites, construction of botanical gardens, organizing cultural festivals and fairs, the identification, documentation, mapping and gazettement of important heritage sites.
Some of the important heritage sites for conservation and restoration include religious sites such as Kalamba, threatened biodiversity areas such as Chyulu and Nzaui hills among others.
This revolutionary raft of measures was announced Wednesday by Governor Kivutha Kibwana and the National Museums of Kenya Director General Mzalendo Kibunjia when they signed a partnership agreement in Nairobi.
In the same breath, governor Kibwana signed a working relationship with Global Communities-Kenya, a Non-Governmental Organization, to revamp the cooperative movement in Makueni.
The parties to this agreement will co-operate to:
Develop county co-operative policy and legislation through a participatory approach;
Build the capacity of the cooperatives officials; to offer business advisory services to the cooperatives including trainings on their needs; and
Design interventions that will enhance access to markets, finance, technical knowledge and relevant information.
The deal was also signed by USAID/ Cooperative Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy and research(CLEAR) program- Chief of Party Kristin Wilcox Feldman in Nairobi.
The County cooperative movement has grown to 230 registered cooperative societies since 2016 which cover activities such as produce marketing, savings and credit SACCOs and housing.
Partnership sees more NCDs patients seek medical attention
Kasikeu Residents Receive Title deeds
At least 3,178 households from Kasikeu ward, Kilome constituency, are now the new holders of title deeds after a 28-year agonizing wait.
The residents were handed over the land ownership documents by governor Kivutha Kibwana and County Commissioner Maalim Mohammed at Kasikeu township Wednesday.
The Kasikeu adjudication section was established in 1992, covering Kiou, Wathini, Mutiswa and Mumela sections.
The issuance of the title deeds, governor Kibwana and Maalim said, was catalyzed by the One-Government-Approach of administration in Makueni county where the national and county governments work harmoniously where necessary.
The county government has facilitated the exercise by paying the processing fees and the issuance exercise.
Traders tipped to make Millions from Devolution Conference
Traders in Makueni are readying themselves for the business whirlwind expected from the 7th national devolution conference to be staged in Wote, Makueni, in April.
The traders, drawn from several sectors of the economy such as Hotel industry, Transport, hawkers, garment traders among others were on Wednesday coached on how to reap maximum business opportunities from the event.
The induction conference for the traders held at Wote, and graced by Governor Kivutha Kibwana was sponsored by the county government in partnership with the Council of Governors (CoG).
At least 8,000 delegates are expected to attend the devolution conference, posing a huge business opportunity for local traders and even from neighboring counties.
Governor Kibwana said his administration is working with KeRRA and other stakeholders to make the event a success.
From Squatters to Land Owners
At least 1,012 households from Wayani, within Nguu Settlement Scheme can now rest easy after receiving tittle deeds to their parcels of land.
The issuance of the title deeds brings to an end a 25-year land ownership battle between people initially considered squatters and members of Nguu Ranch Cooperative Society who claimed the settlement scheme was their ancestral land.
Efforts to settle the land ownership dispute has run through the years since 1995 when a survey was conducted but hit a snag, at times giving way to bloodletting, evictions and grabbing by hawk-eyed cartels with backing from the lands offices.
In 2018, the Makueni county government, in consultation with Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning and the National Land Commission established a joint taskforce to spearhead efforts towards ending the dispute and pave way for issuance of title deeds.
The county government funded the whole exercise at a cost of Sh 29 million.
On Wednesday, the Wayani residents, occupying a 7,341-acre piece of land were all smiles as they lined up at Matutu shopping centre to collect their title deeds.
The ceremony was graced by governor Kivutha Kibwana, NLC vice chair Gertrude Nduku Nguku and county commissioner Maalim Mohammed.
Commissioner Nduku commended the out of court dispute resolution mechanism spearheaded by Kibwana’s administration to resolve this conflict, saying it will be replicated all over the country as it had proven the most effective.
Residents from the Nguu section of the settlement scheme (26,472 acres) will soon receive their title deeds, now at the titling stage.