News

HOPE FOR VULNERABLE CHILDREN AS MAKUENI FINALIZES PLANS FOR RESCUE CENTRE LAUNCH

Makueni’s Department of Gender, Children, Youth, Sports, and Social Services, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, has completed the validation of key guidelines for the operationalization of the Makueni County Child Rescue Centre.

The centre, one of Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr.’s flagship social protection projects, aims to provide care and support to child victims and survivors of violence and abuse, as well as children living on or off the streets.

County Executive Committee Member Sebastian Kyoni, who presided over the validation exercise in Wote on Thursday, emphasized the county government’s commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of vulnerable children.

The validation of the guidelines—which outline intake procedures, rehabilitation, reintegration, and follow-up processes for children at the rescue centre—paves the way for the gazettement of the facility as an official Child Rescue Centre and its subsequent commissioning.

BOOST FOR CHILD HEALTH

Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili and Health Services CECM Dr. Paul Musila on Thursday flagged off a consignment of nutrition supplies at the Makueni County Referral Hospital.

The four-month supply, donated by Helen Keller International, will be distributed across 121 health facilities in the county that manage cases of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) among children.

Currently, the County is caring for 950 children under the age of five diagnosed with Moderate Acute Malnutrition, a condition that, if left untreated, can have long-lasting effects on a child’s growth and development.

Speaking during the flag-off, Mulili emphasized the importance of the intervention, noting that the nutrition commodities will go a long way in restoring the health and vitality of affected children.

Dr. Musila lauded the partnership with Helen Keller International, stressing the county’s commitment to ensuring every child has a chance to thrive.

MAKUENI AND KCB SET STAGE FOR TRANSFORMATIVE PARTNERSHIP

In a bold and visionary move, the County Government of Makueni has held an inception meeting with Kenya Commercial Bank Foundation(KCBF), setting the groundwork for a transformative partnership under the 2JIAJIRI program. This upcoming initiative aims to equip thousands of young people with technical skills, entrepreneurial training, and access to affordable credit — turning them from job seekers into job creators. With KCB’s Foundation financial strength and Makueni’s grassroots reach, the county is poised to become a model for youth-led economic empowerment.

The program will focus on high-impact sectors like carpentry, masonry, and beauty among others while also providing financial literacy and startup support to help youth build viable businesses. Once launched, 2JIAJIRI promises to light the path to self-reliance and prosperity for Makueni’s next generation.

The meeting was led by CECM for ICT, Education, and Internship Elizabeth Muli, CECM for Gender, Children, Sports and Social Services Sebastian Kyoni, Chief Officer Irene Makau,and CO Nicholis Mutua, among other county officials — marking the beginning of a promising journey toward sustainable youth empowerment.

MAKUENI HOSTS 26 COUNTIES FOR PEER LEARNING ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES

Makueni County is hosting Chief Officers in charge of Devolution and Citizen Engagement from 26 counties across Kenya, along with their directors, for a peer-to-peer learning forum on the establishment and operationalization of Project Management Committees (PMCs).

Speaking during the event, Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili emphasized the power of community involvement in development planning adding that across the county , residents are actively involved in deciding how development funds will be utilized during the financial year.

Mulili further explained that at the close of each financial year, communities evaluate the outcomes, demand accountability, and make new proposals for the following cycle.

PMCs, she said, oversee the implementation of projects in line with the Bills of Quantities and also sign off on minutes that authorize contractor payments.

Counties represented in the forum include Nairobi, Mombasa, Homa Bay, Kirinyaga, among others.

The Deputy Governor was flanked by Nicholas Nzioka, CECM for Devolution, and other senior county officials during the forum.

MAKUENI REGISTERS MOST SUCCESSFUL KYISA OUTING IN HOMA BAY

Makueni County recorded her most successful performance yet at the 10th edition of the Kenya Youth Inter-county Sports Association (KYISA) Games, held in Homa Bay from April 13th to 19th , 2025.

The county’s women’s football team successfully defended their title for the third consecutive year, defeating Kajiado 5-4 on penalties in a thrilling final. The squad maintained an unbeaten record throughout the tournament.

Makueni also claimed victory in men’s basketball, overpowering hosts Homa Bay 78-52 in the finals. Overall, the county reached five finals—in men’s and women’s football, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s volleyball—showcasing its emergence as sporting giant in the country.

Makueni Sports Executive Committee Member Sebastian Kyoni attributed the outstanding performance to Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr.’s grassroots sports initiatives, particularly the ward-based Ligi Mashinani program and the MKJ Supa Cup tournament, which have nurtured emerging talent and elevated the county’s competitive edge.

MAKUENI STORMS KYISA 2025 IN HOMA BAY WITH A BANG!

Makueni County has made an emphatic statement at the ongoing Kenya Youth Inter-county Sports Association (KYISA) games in Homa Bay, with her teams across multiple disciplines delivering impressive performances that have established them as serious title contenders.

The men’s football team set the tone early, pulling off a stunning 1-0 victory against defending champions Busia in their opening match. They followed this with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Wajir to comfortably secure a place in the quarterfinals.

Taking cue from their male counterparts, Makueni’s women footballers fought hard in their opening match to earn a 1-1 draw against neighboring Kitui before producing a commanding 2-0 victory over Kajiado that booked their spot in the semifinals.

On the basketball court, the women’s team provided one of the tournament’s most thrilling moments, edging Siaya 48-47 in a nail-biting encounter that went down to the wire.

The men’s volleyball team also made their mark with a convincing 3-1 win against Nyeri, though the women’s volleyball team suffered a 3-0 setback against a strong Nandi side in their opener.

With multiple teams advancing deep into the knockout stages, Makueni County has firmly established itself as one of the teams to beat at this year’s KYISA games.

MAKUENI COUNTY TEAMS UP WITH KCB TO BOOST REVENUE COLLECTION, OFFERS DISCOUNTS FOR EARLY PAYMENTS.

Makueni County has entered into a strategic partnership with Kenya Commercial Bank to streamline and enhance revenue collection, targeting Ksh 1.5 billion in Own- source Revenue for the 2024/2025 financial year.

The KCB team on Tuesday held talks with County Secretary, Dr. Justin Kyambi and County Executive Committee Member, Finance and Socio-Economic Planning, Damaris Kavoi.

The KCB team was led by David Nyamu, General Manager, Sovereign and Public Sector during the official launch at the Governor’s Office in Wote.

As part of the initiative, the County launched a five-day public awareness campaign to educate businesses and landowners on the importance of paying land rates, renewing business permits and settling other County dues.

To encourage timely compliance, the county is offering discounts for early payments:

10% discount on unpaid bills of up to Ksh 10,000 and 5% discount on unpaid bills exceeding Ksh 10,000.

Boniface Mutua, Chief Officer for Finance and Socio-Economic Planning, also attended the event.

MAKUENI MOVES TO RESTORE THREATENED MUAMBWANI KALUMBI COMMUNITY FORESTS

Muambwani and Kalumbi Community Forests in Mbitini Ward are more than just trees—they are lifelines. These precious ecosystems provide the neighboring communities with clean water, firewood, medicinal plants and food, while sheltering hundreds of wildlife species.

These forests are however under threat from unsustainable human practices such as logging, cattle grazing and encroachment, putting both nature and people at risk by shrinking the resources they rely on.

Alarmed by this crisis, Makueni County’s Department of Lands, Urban Planning & Development, Environment and Climate Change has sprung into action. In partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the European Union under the Digital Land Governance Programme, they have completed an intensive four-day biodiversity and socioeconomic assessment—documenting the forests’ rich flora and fauna while mapping the damaging effects of human activity.

This assessment paves the way for the formulation of a Participatory Forest Management Plan (PFMP)—a community-driven blueprint to restore and sustainably manage the two forests.

Led by FAO’s Cluster Land Technical Specialist, Christopher Sowek, and Makueni County Forester Damaris Mwikali, the plan will empower locals to protect their natural heritage while creating eco-friendly livelihoods such as beekeeping, agroforestry, ecotourism, and plant-based medicinal extracts.

MAKUENI GEARS UP TO DOMINATE KYISA GAMES AGAIN AS CHAMPIONS EYE HOMA BAY GLORY!

Makueni County is on a mission to conquer once more! Fresh off their stunning triumph at last year’s Kenya Youth Inter-county Sports Association (KYISA) games in Malindi, the defending champions are charging into Homa Bay with fire in their hearts and victory on their minds.

In an electrifying flag-off ceremony on Friday, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. handed the county flag to six teams—men and women primed for glory—as they prepare to battle for supremacy from April 13th to 19th.

“We are not just participating—we are defending our crown!” declared Governor Mutula, expressing confidence in the squads assembled from the just concluded MKJ Supa Cup.

Last year, Makueni left opponents in the dust, clinching gold in men’s volleyball and dominating women’s football. Now, with Homa Bay in their sights, the champions are hungry to prove their reign is no fluke.

OVER 1,700 MAKUENI YOUTH TO BENEFIT FROM WAZO INNOVATION PROGRAM

A total of 1,740 youth in Makueni County are set to benefit from Wazo, a youth empowerment program spearheaded by the National Government to tackle unemployment and nurture innovation among young people.

The Wazo initiative takes a comprehensive approach to sustainable development by equipping youth with entrepreneurial skills, supporting the growth of startups, and addressing key barriers such as high failure rates of youth-led businesses and lack of knowledge on patenting and intellectual property rights.

Speaking in Makueni on Wednesday, Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs,Creative Economy, and Sports, Salim Mvurya, urged the youth to seize the opportunity to shape their future through innovation and enterprise.

He further added that each beneficiary will undergo a six-month intensive training and will receive a monthly stipend of K.sh 6,000 to support them during the period.

Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili echoed the sentiments, highlighting the county’s ongoing youth empowerment efforts including the Ujuzi Teketeke skills development program and sports initiatives.