The National Assembly Water Committee on Friday made a courtesy call on Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr to discuss concerns surrounding the slow pace of Thwake Dam construction and pollution of River Athi, the main source of the dam when complete.
Governor Mutula sugggeted creation of Thwake Dam Authority and a Water Policing Unit to enforce compliance of non-pollution of Athi River.
Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Soipan Tuya together with Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr on Friday led hundreds of residents in a tree growing exercise at Kiu Wetland in Makindu Ward.
The exercise precedes celebration of the National Tree Growing Day to be hosted in the site and graced by President William Ruto on Monday 13th. 100,000 tree seedlings will be planted at the wetland on the same day.
Makueni targets to grow 344 million trees by 2032, with 34 million grown each year. In the current October-November-December rain season, the county will grow 10 million trees.
Wote Green Park came alive on the 9th and 10th of November 2023, as the heart of Makueni County hosted a two-day music and cultural extravaganza. The festival, not only a celebration of artistic expression but was a crucial platform for selecting the best teams to represent the county in the upcoming Kenya Music and Cultural Festival.
The park buzzed with energy as talented performers showcased traditional dances, melodious tunes, and captivating cultural displays. Spectators were treated to a mixture of vibrant costumes, rhythmic beats, and heartwarming performances that reflected the rich cultural tapestry of Makueni.
The festival served as a rigorous selection ground, with various teams competing for the honor of representing Makueni County in the prestigious Kenya Music and Cultural Festival at Wote Technical Training Institute from 1st to 9th December.
After two days of intense competition, the winners were crowned and celebrated. The triumphant teams were not only awarded with medals but also received certificates of merit, recognizing their exceptional talent and commitment to preserving and showcasing Makueni’s cultural heritage.
The County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Industry, Marketing, Culture and Tourism Eng. Peter Mumo expressed the Departmental delight at the high level of talent on display and emphasized the importance of such events in fostering cultural pride and unity within the community. The winning teams are now gearing up to represent Makueni County on the national stage, where they will compete with teams from across Kenya in the spirit of friendship and cultural exchange.
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr on Thursday hosted South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters Party President Julius Malema, Pan African Institute Chairman Prof. PLO Lumumba, Former Governor Prof. Kivutha Kibwana and business mogul Jimmy Wanjigi at the launch of The Pan African Institute in Lukenya University, Mtito-Andei, Makueni County.
The first cohort of 60 trainees has reported at ATC Kwa Kathoka ready to commence a 6-month agricultural training program fully sponsored by the County Government of Makueni in partnership with Anglican Development Services Kenya (ADS- Kenya) and Micro Enterprises Support Programme Trust (MESPT).
The training initiative is geared towards creating economic opportunities and enhancing employability for youth and Women of productive age through green skills and capacity development along the horticulture, dairy and poultry value chains.
The trainees underwent orientation on Wednesday, an exercise which was presided over by Agriculture Executive Committee Member Joyce Mutua and flanked by her Education counterpart Elizabeth Muli.
Soon, the Makueni Agriculture Training Centre at Kwa Kathoka will be an autonomous entity once the proposed bill is passed by the Assembly. The center will provide specialized and high-quality agricultural education, training, and related services, and will play a pivotal role in enhancing agricultural knowledge and skills among the community, potentially contributing to local agricultural development.
During the orientation exercise, Mutua announced that the school will be officially inaugurated next week on 14th November 2023 by Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr alongside other senior officials from the National Government.
Winfred Yavi, the reigning World Athletics 3000m steeplechase Gold Medalist on Monday paid a courtesy visit to Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr in the company of her parents.
During the meeting, she commended efforts of the county government in the sports industry, particularly highlighting the establishment of sports talent centers. The County has two such centers in the lowlands and is planning to establish two more in the high-altitude areas of Kaiti and Mbooni
Additionally, they discussed on potential collaboration in sports promotion and mentorship.
Makueni County Government through the department of Trade, Marketing, Industry, Culture and Tourism under the leadership of Chief Officer Dr. Jossylyne Mutua participated in the Marketing Society of Kenya Marketers Conference on 26th & 27th October 2023 in Mombasa, an annual event that brought together marketing professionals, industry experts, and thought leaders to exchange knowledge, ideas, and insights on emerging trends and best practices in the field of marketing. In its 3rd Edition, the conference aimed to explore the theme “Harnessing disruptive innovation for marketing success” with a focus on how best to leverage disruptive innovation to drive successful marketing campaigns and achieve business growth. The conference covered a wide range of subjects, including customer centric marketing, data analytics, Mobile marketing, customer experience, digital marketing, and more. This conference came at a time that the Department of Trade, Marketing, Industry, Culture and Tourism is in the process of restructuring the county marketing unit to facilitate efficient delivery of their roles. The marketing officers had the opportunity to meet marketing experts that could help address some of organization’s biggest marketing challenges in the trade, production and hospitality sectors and effectively learned, connected and shared experiences with fellow marketers.
The Objectives of the MSK Marketers Conference
Over 27,000 farmers from Makueni have benefitted from certified seeds distributed by the County Government of Makueni for planting during the October-December rain season 2023.Beneficiaries were drawn from 11 wards that had prioritized planting seeds during the budgeting process for the 2023/24 financial year.
The Wards include Thange, Ivingoni -Nzambani, Mtito -Andei, Makindu,Nguumo, Kasikeu, Mbitini, Muvau -Kikumini, Kako- Waia, Kalawa and Mbooni.The initiative received a boost from the Kenya Red Cross Society which donated seeds to vulnerable households in Kibwezi –East Sub-county.
The Seed varieties distributed were Green grams, Maize, Beans, Cowpeas and assorted fodder and pasture seeds. With onset of the rains, Agriculture Executive Joyce Mutua has called on farmers to plant different seed varieties in order to achieve food security at the household levels.
Plug Mtaani is a competition of entrepreneurial ideas by young people.
Faith Mumo Timona, a fruits value addition industrialist based at Kwa Kathoka is the overall winner of Makueni County Plug Mtaani Youth Business Competition. The winner will represent Makueni at the national level competition and stand a chance to win Sh 10M to nurture her vision. She was awarded a sum of Sh 50,000 by Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr engages with Taxi and Pool Table Players in Wote. He promised an exciting Pool Tournament to be organized by Wote Municipality.
