Development

Wote Town to get a new face

Wote and Mtito-Andei towns will soon have fully developed Decentralized Waste Treatment Facilities geared towards improving the general sanitation of the county.

This was announced by Water executive Bob Kisyula on Wednesday during a meeting with Water Sector Trust Fund officials where an agreement to fund the projects and other water projects was reached.

The deal, signed by Governor Kivutha Kibwana and the Water Sector Trust Fund Chairman Patrick Kokonya will fund capacity building and development support to the County, to improve the provision of adequate and sustainable access to sufficient quality and quantity of water and basic sanitation.

According to Kisyula, the county has already identified desilting and rehabilitation of Mulima and Kinze dams in Mbooni sub-county for funding from the Water Sector Trust Fund.

Sanitation program for most of the county’s urban centers is also on the funding priority list.

The Fund’s CEO Ismail Shaiye who witnessed the signing of the partnership announced that a team of engineers will be dispatched to the already earmarked dams for baseline survey in a fortnight.

Kibwana termed the deal a timely one saying that the county is racing against time to fully achieve the water agenda for the people of Makueni, now at 53 percent.

Community-led development projects attract millions of World Bank fund

Over 160 community-led development initiatives in Makueni have received Sh 33 million funding by World Bank through the National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NARIGP).

The overarching goal of the project is to increase agricultural productivity and profitability of targeted communities in selected counties, and in the event of an eligible crisis or emergency, to provide immediate and effective response.

The small-scale farmers, drawn from 20 wards across the county, have ventured into tomato, mango, indigenous chicken and green grams value chains and were competitively identified through vetting of proposals which had to meet set eligibility criteria.

According to the Agriculture CEC Lawrence Nzunga, priority was placed on micro-projects that have the potential to increase agricultural productivity and incomes, value addition, and links to markets; and sustain natural resources base and returns to targeted communities.

Makueni County Governor Kivutha Kibwana, while presenting the cheques to the successful groups at ATC Kwakathoka on Friday, urged farmers to focus on community-led agriculture as the surest way of enhancing food security at household level.

“I urge farmers in all the wards to venture into community-led agriculture that will help us achieve food security and save us from poverty and “Mwolyo” menace,” said Kibwana.

Kibwana asked the farmers to use the funds prudently towards implementing the proposed projects and ensure that they are successful enough to attract more funding.

A County Technical Advisory Committee is already in place to provide the monitoring and evaluation component while Community-Driven Development Committees will assist the communities to plan, implement and manage the interventions.

By the end of the project in 2021, 570 project proposals will have been funded to benefit 17,100 small holder farmers across the county.

Government to Fast track implementation of Thwake Dam, says CS

Cabinet Secretary for Water and Sanitation Simon Chelugui has said his ministry will push the contractor undertaking construction of Thwake dam to fast track its implementation and recover lost time.

According to the CS, 11 months into the signing of the contract with China Gezhouba Group, the contractor, only 7.2 percent of civil works against an expected 19 percent has been achieved so far.

Chelugui said the ministry will ensure fast tracking of the project implementation so that it is completed within the 56 months contract period.

The CS spoke on Wednesday when he, accompanied by governors Kivutha Kibwana, Alfred Mutua and Charity Ngilu toured the dam site to asses the implementation progress and address any emerging issues.

The three governors protested delaying of the distribution of domestic water component, insisting that it should be done simultaneously or immediately the Dam is done as the region is highly water stressed.

At least a volume of 60 Million litres of treated water from the dam will be reserved for domestic use in both Kitui and Makueni (Wote, Kathonzweni and Kibwezi).

The governors also insisted on the adherence to the local-local Sub-contracting as agreed where contractors from the three counties would be given priority, with a list of pre-qualified ones shared with the contractor and the ministry.

SEKEB Courts USAID for Development Partnerships

The South Eastern Kenya Economic Bloc (SEKEB) is seeking to partner with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to leverage on its resources for the region’s development.

SEKEB top leadership under the chairmanship of ABC Archbishop Timothy Ndambuki, governor Kivutha Kibwana, speakers Douglas Mbilu, Florence Mwangangi and majority leaders from the three counties on Thursday held a consultative meeting with the agency’s Country and East Africa Mission director Mark Meassick to deliberate on possible partnerships.

The meeting, also attended by other top ranking USAID officials, was held at Bomani ABC Church grounds in Machakos.

According to Meassick, USAID invests over $450Million in Kenya annually, and is ready to partner with SEKEB as a co-creator targeting wealth creation especially in Agriculture, water development, health and climate change resilience building.

Meassick said USAID is seeking to take advantage of the devolution system of governance to enhance closer relations with County governments geared towards a transformative development agenda.

Governor Kibwana said SEKEB is in the process of establishing a framework that would guide the shared development partnerships among the member counties and as well with development partners.

Kenya-Korea partnership to see advanced institute of science and technology established in Konza city

The Government of Kenya is set to establish a new institute in Konza Technopolis; Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology(Kenya-KAIST) modelled after the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology(Korea-KAIST), the world’s leading science and technology University.

According to Chief Administrative Secretary and Principal Secretary State of Department for University Education and Research Prof Collette A. Suda, the institute aims to produce highly qualified scientists and engineers with both theory and practical knowledge for the future industry in Kenya and East Africa Region.

She spoke on Tuesday when she gave her key note address at Konza City during the institute’s architectural and curriculum design development kick off ceremony.

“I am happy about this milestone because the institute is going to transform the economy of our country through science, technology and innovation as well as change the face of this country through men and women who will come out of the institute and transform Kenya like it has transformed the Korean economy,” Suda said.

She further added that the production of the well-trained graduates in Science and Technology will contribute to knowledge based economy and sustainable growth with innovation.

The National government through the Ministry of Education has partnered with a Consortium of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, SAMOO Architects and Engineering Company Limited and SUNJIN Engineering and Architecture Company Limited, who were competitively selected according to Konza Technopolis Development Authority CEO Eng. John Tanui, to undertake the architectural and curriculum design for the university.

Makueni Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau who attended the kick off ceremony assured all stakeholders support from the Counties of Kajiado, Makueni and Machakos adding that residents from those neigbouring counties will be among the immediate beneficiaries.

“We promise you our full support in actualizing this university because it will first benefit our people from Kajiado, Makueni and Machakos counties,” Mwau stated.

By 2030, Konza City will generate close to 20,000 jobs with positions filled by Konza Technopolis University Campus graduates as well as Kenyans and experts relocating to live and work in the city.

Three Ukambani Deputy Governors pledge to support development collaborations championed by their County Bosses

Deputy Governors Adelina Mwau, Eng Francis Maliti and Dr Wathe Nzau have pledged their unequivocal support for the Poverty Eradication Movement formed by the three Ukambani governors saying it is the only sure way to better the lives of their citizenry as well as accelerate the intentions of South Eastern Economic Bloc (SEKEB).

The three Ukambani DGs on Monday when they addressed the press at Maliti’s office in Machakos noted that the three counties share a lot in common but genuine unity to solve their unique challenges have been missing.

In a joint statement, the DGs further observed that it is only through the unity of purpose that the people of Ukambani can realize the goldmines they have been sitting on over the years and urged the three governors to soldier on.

“We are talking of building into each other’s efforts. For example, we are talking of Kalamba fruit processing plant in Makueni and we can have all Ukambani fruits processed there. We have a lot to learn about the Kitui Ndengu revolution. We are not duplicating but building on each other’s comparative advantages,” Mwau said.

“The initiatives through SEKEB the three governors have come up with are very good. We must change the way we used to do things if we are to expect different results. We also support the religious leaders who are trying to bring the leaders together. We need leaders who can bring our people together for politics of development,” said Nzau.

The deputy governors have lauded their bosses for choosing a direction away from the status quo and for reviving SEKEB which they said will concentrate on the following issues;

Development of key infrastructures such as roads, mega dams and factories,
Establishment of regional bank to support the economy of the region,
Promote agriculture,
Develop a policy on Universal Health Coverage where health insurance can be used across all the facilities in the 3 counties,
Jointly to exploit common natural resources and come up with a framework on how the people will directly benefit,
Provide conducive environment to both local and international investors and market the region an investment and tourist destination and,
Revive and value add cotton and leather industries whose raw materials are readily available in the region.

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

South Eastern Kenya leaders meet for Economic Bloc Policy Formulation

Ukambani top leadership on Friday converged in Kitui town for a consultative forum to put final touches to the operationalization of the South Eastern Kenya Economic Bloc (SEKEB).

The forum also provided room for public participation by the Bloc’s stakeholders on a national policy for establishment of County Economic Blocs drafted by the Ministry of Devolution and ASAL.

The event was graced by Cabinet Secretary for devolution Eugene Wamalwa, governor Charity Ngilu, Machakos deputy governor Francis Maliti and Makueni County Secretary Paul Wasanga who represented governor Kivutha Kibwana.

According to SEKEB acting chair Archbishop Timothy Ndambuki, the regional economic bloc will have a three-tier administration structure that will steer it to success.

The three tiers will include:

SUMMIT

This will be the apex body which will offer leadership on policy and high level decisions.

The summit will comprise the three governors and senators, each county assembly speakers, majority and minority leaders, MPs, County Secretaries, representatives of the Business Community, Religious leaders, Civil society, Youth, Women, and PWDs.

COUNTY SEKEB FORUMS

Each County is to establish a county forum for deliberating and engagement with the summit as appropriate.

The County Forum will consist of the Governor, senator, all county MPs, MCAs, CECs finance and Trade, representatives of Business, Professionals, Religious, Youth, PWDs, Women, Speaker, and the civil society.

THE SECRETARIAT

This will be the body mandated to carry out administrative duties, mobilization of resources execution of SEKEB Programs and projects as well as Communication.

The Secretariat will report to the summit.

According to Ndambuki, the thematic areas to be pursued by SEKEB include but not limited to: Water resources development, Agriculture and food security, Technology and ICT development, Health Services, Trade and Entrepreneur Development, Manufacturing, Industrialization, Mining/Extractives, Financial Sector Development, Infrastructure development, Urban Planning, Youth and Women empowerment, Tourism and cultural development.

Governor Kivutha Kibwana will be the Secretariat’s legal advisor, while Timothy Ndambuki will head it.

Locals benefit from projects of Public Participation

Makueni Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau has implored the locals to make good use of public participation foras to realise development.

The DG particularly called on women to take public participation activities seriously in order to voice out social issues affecting them.

Mwau noted that besides issues of water and health, issues like gender based violence should be articulated saying that public participation provides effective platform for budget allocation.

She said: “Most of the times we prioritise issues of water, health and roads during public participation forums and forget to talk about social issues affecting us like rape and defilement cases. Women should come out in large numbers and speak about these issues so that we can get budget allocation.”

The Deputy Governor spoke on Monday when she commissioned the 80 metre Kalimani drift and Ilikoni ECDE center in Mtito-Andei ward, Kibwezi-East Sub-County, projects which were birthed through public participation. The drift marks a great milestone towards establishing linkages in different areas of the county.

Rose Matheka, one of the project management committee members while lauding the public participation model that starts at the village level, urged the county government to increase the public participation budget, a move that will ensure that many women are facilitated to attend the forums in large numbers.

The roads executive committee member Dr Naomi Makau hailed the PMC for being very vigilant in oversight roles that ensure that effective works are done.

Mtito Andei MCA Francis Mulwa who also took part in unveiling of the projects challenged the youth not to idle around but take up jobs so as to avoid indulging in drugs menace adding that he is in the forefront in steering the youth agenda in the ward.