News

Makueni Governor Prof Kivutha Kibwana has told contractors working on county projects that his government will not tolerate any form of corruption and shoddy jobs.

He said the county will deal ruthlessly with staff found engaging in malpractices and urged businessmen awarded contracts to report any extortion attempts by county staff directly to his office.

The governor was speaking at Acacia Hotel in Wote during a meeting with major contractors awarded tenders by the department of roads, transport and infrastructure.

“We will not tolerate incidences of corruption and blackmail. I urge you to report cases of corruption to my office directly. In the past we have been ruthless with corrupt people and even now if we get them we will eject them from the system,”Prof Kibwana said.

He said that they should also report cases of intentional missing files adding that the county government will facilitate contractors to do their jobs and pick their money without any blackmail as long as they have done a good job.

The governor however indicated that the county government has had challenges dealing with some contractors in the past adding that creating a forum where the parties could meet and engage would help address emerging issues.

Said Prof Kibwana:“We have had challenges working with some contractors. It is important to create a platform where we can talk together so that we can understand each other.”

County Secretary Paul Wasanga urged the contractors to employ locals in wards where the contracts are being undertaken as part of the government’s initiative to ensure part of the money goes back to the people.
“When you go to the ground please give some of the jobs to the locals. That way we will get part of the money back to the people.When you do that they will even protect your equipment, ”the CS said.

Roads Executive Committee Member Eng. Sebastian Kyoni who was present warned contractors against sub-letting contracts awarded to them without seeking clearance from the county government.

“When we request full compliance with PMC we urge you to cooperate with us and please don’t compromise the supervision. Where you are required to undertake some tests please comply,” he said.

Finance ECM Mary Kimanzi said the Makueni government has had no problem paying contractors explaining that where paperwork has been properly done payments have been processed in good time.

She however said that drip dropping cash flow and a cumbersome technology has made the process more bureaucratic but added that everything has always been done to ensure payments are processed.

“Because we always work with budget we don’t have a problem paying on time. It is the process that sometimes takes a bit longer,” Ms Kimanzi said

Makueni governor Prof Kivutha Kibwana and his Machakos counterpart Dr Alfred Mutua have publicly reconciled their past political differences promising to work together.

The two who spoke during a funds drive  in aid of Shine Star Secondary school in Makindu said they will work together to develop the community calling on other leaders to join them.

Prof Kibwana and Dr Mutua worked for different political groupings in the last General

Elections forcing them to vigorously campaign against each other.

The Makueni governor who is also the chairman of Wiper party was at the forefront campaigning for Nasa in the region while Dr Mutua who is the Maendeleo Chap Chap leader worked for the ruling Jubilee Party.

It was Dr Mutua who twinkled first extending a public handshake to a willing Prof Kibwana during the event at Makindu sending the crowd into cheers.

“I want to ask Governor Kivutha Kibwana to forgive me for any wrongs I might have committed against him and again request him for a handshake as a sign of unity,” Dr Mutua said

The two governors shook hands with Dr Mutua asking for political forgiveness and vowed to forge a purposeful unity for the betterment of locals.

Prof  Kibwana said that he was in agreement with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka that there was no need for Ukambani leaders to engage in political fights adding that it was time to focus on development.

He further said that as the wiper chairman he had no intentions of blocking Dr Mutua from contesting the presidency in 2022

“As the chairman of Wiper, I am in agreement with our party leader who recently said that we don’t have to fight here at home. I know you are both hunting, we are not blocking anyone,” Prof Kibwana said.

Governor Mutua reiterated that his ambition to contest the presidency in 2022 was on course.

“After 10 years as a governor in Machakos, I will be seeking your support to become President come 2022, just like a student who after form four proceeds to the university,” Dr Mutua said.

Youth, Gender, Culture, Sports and Social Services Chief Officer Jonah Kyathe on Friday urged the national government to devolve children services in order to make it easier to handle their cases effectively at the grassroots.

Kyathe said that counties have no budget  to address children affairs adding that the county only compliments what the national government does because children services are not devolved.

“The budget to manage the affairs of our children is at the national level and as such it is difficult to effectively deal with arising cases  at the grassroots effectively.  Our children are here with us not in Nairobi and we therefore urge the national government to devolved children services,” Kyathe said.

Kyathe who spoke during a stakeholders’ training workshop on sensitization and formation of sub-county child protection committees in Wote observed that most of the children’s cases are not reported because their perpetrators are family members.

He further indicated that many people do not know the relevant authorities to report children cases and called for intense training to members in order to be equipped with relevant information on children cases.

“Most of the children cases go unreported because they are committed by close family members while others are never reported simply because our people do not know where to report such cases. We there need a lot of training on the same,” he added.

The training also  oversaw formation of sub- county children protection committees across the county. The committees will over and above be responsible for detection, response and also address children abuse cases.

The executive committee member for Youth and Gender Dr. Godfrey Makau who also attended the workshop said that the county government was in the process of formulating a county child protection policy to guide the county on matters children.

He further called upon the national government and other key stakeholder to work together towards promoting the rights of children in order to avoid duplicate of roles when addressing the same issue.

“We are in the process of formulating a county child protection policy and we urge the national government to partner with us so that we avoid duplication of roles when we are addressing the same issues of our children,” the ECM said.

His sentiments were echoed by Makueni County Co-coordinator, Children services Celestine Nthiani who was doing a presentation on overview of child protection and the roles of the child protection committees.

“If we need to go far, we need to work together as institutions in order to protect our children who are our future,” Ms. Nthiani observed.

Other officials who graced the training workshop include Jane Makau, County director for gender and representatives from Faith Based Organisations and other non state actors.

Governor Kivutha Kibwana and senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr on Monday led a consultative meeting with Makueni leaders to strategise on how to handle emergency response following deadly floods in the county.

Addressing the forum Prof Kibwana said that the county will require Sh 1 billion to support full recovery from the devastating effects of the havoc that has caused 17 deaths and massive displacement of persons.

According to a report by the county government on the effect of the disaster, 26 dams have been breached, houses collapsed and crops destroyed.

The report further indicates that Sh 205 million is required to repair all the water projects damaged by the floods while Sh 282 million is required to repair damaged roads under the county jurisdiction.

“We estimate the cost of complete repairs and restoration of people’s livelihoods will be over Sh 2 billion,”Prof Kibwana said.

Adding that Sh 500 million is required immediately to facilitate immediate repair works in order to restore normalcy.

The government Prof Kibwana said will be forced to review its 2018-2019 budget in order to focus on addressing the damages and losses caused by the rains.

He said: “We will have to inevitably review and where possible suspend some of the development projects earlier included in our 2018-2019 budget so as to enable us facilitate a recovery plan.”

Prof Kibwana said that the decision to divert the budget plan is painful but one that is a necessary sacrifice.

The governor and the Senator together with members of parliament, members of the county assembly and the county executives agreed to form a committee to coordinate emergency response and avert further loss of lives, property and human suffering out of the raging floods.

The committee was formed on Monday in a meeting of all elected leaders within the county and other stakeholders to draw a roadmap for a united response to the flooding catastrophe.

The committee will among other tasks define priority areas for response, define flood zones along rivers and evacuate where possible, mobilization of the general public to contribute to support the emergency responses as well as lobby other partners to support response initiatives.

The committee comprises of the Governor, County Secretary, CECs (Lands, Finance, Roads, Health, Devolution and Water), Office of the senator, KeRRA, Red Cross, Office of County Commissioner, Security, Clerk of County Assembly, NDMA, All MPs or their representatives and office of the County Representative.

The governor said the county government has already developed a disaster communication structure and protocol which includes a toll free line manned by Kenya Red Cross, short code (40014) for two way messaging as well as establishment of a disaster command center.

Mr Mutula asked local leaders to unite in order to jointly tackle the flood crisis adding that mobilization of relief support from all quarters was necessary.

“We must work together on this one so that we mobilise as much resources as possible for us to succeed,” he said.

The Senator urged the local county assembly to allow passage of an emergency fund in order to make government response to special programs much easier.

“This emergency funds we are talking about must be passed now.MCAs have been resistant but I think it is important and must be considered,” he said.

The Makueni county exhibition tent at the Kakamega devolution conference was a major attraction throughout the devolution bazaar as delegates and other exhibitors took time out to admire some of the products on show.

About 3,500 delegates signed in at the  county exhibition booth to view exciting documentaries on development and infrastructural progress achieved so far.

The county has been admired by many due to progressive implementation of major development projects.

The mention of Governor Prof Kivutha Kibwana’s name during the conference was always received with massive applause forcing him to always stand and wave to the delegates to acknowledge their good reception.

Many delegates scrambled to greet the governor every time he walked out of the conference venue with hundreds demanding for selfies with Prof Kibwana who has become a devolution superstar.

Yesterday the county deputy health promotion officer Bretta Mutisya who was leading the county exhibitors said the visits to the booth were massive with many coming to watch the documentaries while others sampled some of the products on display.

“We have interacted with so many guests during this conference. My colleagues who came with products have sold them out. People have picked handbooks from here to familiarize with our development story,” said Ms Mutisya.

Some of the products on show included mango jam, juice, makueni fresh milk, various branded original honey and several booklets detailing development projects by the county.

Several governors and top executives attending the conference also passed by the booth to witness the various development projects being showcased.

Many were interested in the mango juice following the story of Makueni Fruit Processing factory while others asked questions on how the county managed an elaborate universal healthcare system with the scanty resources allocated.

On Tuesday,  Makueni became the talk of the conference after President Uhuru Kenyatta made several references to Governor Kivutha Kibwana acknowledging the initiatives implemented under his government.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga also echoed the president’s sentiments when he addressed the conference on Wednesday.