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Makueni County Prepares for the Roll Out of Indigenous Knowledge Documentation and Digitization Project.

A delegation from the State Department of Culture and Heritage, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage led by Dr. Evans Taracha, the National Coordinator of the Natural Products Industry (NPI) Initiative and leader of the indigenous knowledge documentation and digitization project, met with the Makueni County project implementation team led by Peter Mumo Nyamai, the County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Industry, Marketing, Culture and Tourism, to plan for the roll out of the project.
The overall goal of the project is to advance protection, promotion and valorization (value addition) of Kenya’s indigenous knowledge and associated assets. The project will support the County government in meeting its obligations in the Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Expressions Act, 2016 by setting up the County digital repository of traditional knowledge and cultural expressions and associated ICT equipment and building capacity of the County government in the documentation and digitization of indigenous knowledge.
The pilot project that is implemented in Makueni County under the Department of Trade, Marketing, Industry, Culture and Tourism is spearheaded by the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage through the Natural Products Industry (NPI) Initiative, a Kenya Vision 2030 flagship project. It is envisaged that the project will stimulate a new growth area of the economy that harnesses indigenous knowledge and associated assets.

Makueni Tourism Circuit Launched.

As a way of ensuring Makueni County becomes a major tourist destination centre, the County on Wednesday launched Makueni Tourism Circuit.
The County is an impressive tourist destination that rewards travelers with the utmost safari experiences in not only wilderness but also the unique cultures of the Angulia people (a sub-tribe of the Akamba people), caves, Chyullu hills, Masamukye hot springs, Makongo viewpoint, among other wonders.
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr during the launch said that the County had all the required infrastructures such as Standard Gauge Railway, the upcoming Makindu airstrip, and the Mombasa Nairobi highway that opens the region to the outside world.
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Ministry of Tourism And Wildlife – Kenya
Tour Operators Society Of Kenya – TOSK

Makueni Human-Wildlife conflict claimants to receive compensation

Makueni Human-Wildlife conflict claimants to receive compensation from March, CS Malonza says
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr on Friday met Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Peninah Malonza to fast track pending compensation claims on human-wildlife conflict cases in Makueni.
The CS disclosed that plans are underway to settle the backlog of claims received by June 2022. She said: “We will pay the pending claims. I have already approved the budget and by march we should be starting the payments to claimants of loss of live and property cases.”
However, the Tourism CS decried of limited resources but her ministry is pushing for establishment of conservation fund as one of the ways of supplementing budget from the exchequer. Besides settling of the unpaid claims, Malonza said they were exploring ways to end human-wildlife conflict.
Malonza further announced that the government has already committed funds to electric fence the remaining section of Kitui Game Reserve bordering Masongaleni at River Athi. “I am happy that Makueni is already doing 93 Kilometres. We commit to do the remaining section that remains exposed at the kitui Game reserve,” said Malonza.
Governor Mutula sought for a collaboration with the ministry to assist the county in areas of tourism promotion, wildlife conservation and culture. Technical officers from the two teams are working together to establish specific areas of partnership ahead of official signing of their engagement.

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.