Skip to content Skip to left sidebar Skip to footer

News

Top county officials trained on servant leadership

Top county government officials have undergone a 2-day training on servant leadership organised by the county government in collaboration with Africa Servant Leadership Development Institute.
 
The training, at Wote, which closed its doors on Friday was geared towards inspiring and equipping the officials with servant leadership skills and creating a conducive climate in the work place and in the community of their service.
 
Deputy governor Adelina Mwau who attended the workshop and gave her key note remarks noted that the training offered the officials an opportunity to reflect on the values that each one needs to touch other people’s lives in workplaces and in the community at large.
 
“It is time for us to reflect what it means to serve in a way that we touch lives of other people. Let us reflect on the values that we need to be servant leaders,” Mwau said.
 
The DG further called for personal transformation as the starting point to servant leadership.
 
The training was tailored around themes of good governance, corruption, social responsibility, stewardship, leadership and integrity and core values of servant leadership.
 
Dr. Mulinge of ASLDI and a facilitator commended the good leadership exhibited by governor Kivutha Kibwana and her deputy and presented the DG with certificates of recognition of their exemplary servant leadership.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • January 11, 2019 in News

Makueni pens deal with UN-Habitat for sustainable development partnership

Makueni County on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UN-Habitat to collaborate in different development projects in the county.

The MoU, signed by governor Kivutha Kibwana and UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Sharif seeks to:-

  • Improve county planning practices;
  • Enhance production and use of appropriate materials for decent housing;
  • Develop a Green Energy Strategy with an action plan;
  • Develop a plan for sustainable solid waste management;
  • Strengthen revenue enhancement capacity and Local Economic Development (LED) and
  • Empower youth development.

The deal, according to governor Kibwana, will help achieve better quality of life for the people of Makueni with hope that it will open opportunities for partnerships with other UN bodies.

“We are excited about this deal. When we began negotiations last year, we had a list of many things but slowly it has been easy. We hope this is an opening for more partnerships with other UN bodies,” Kibwana said.

Sharif acknowledged the county for its efforts towards achieving the big four agenda in the country citing her happiness to see the signing of deal come true.

She said: ” I acknowledge the contribution of Makueni towards realising of the big four agenda in the country. I’m happy to see this come true today.”

Present to witness the signing of the agreement were deputy governor Adelina Mwau and other top county government officials.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

90 students from needy families secure county scholarships

At least 90 candidates from across Makueni County who sat for their KCPE in 2018 will join secondary schools of their choices under full scholarships courtesy of the Makueni County Government.

The 90, three from each of the 30 wards were awarded their first year fees cheques, amounting to a maximum of Sh 70,000 by deputy governor Adelina Mwau at Wote on Tuesday.

The 90 brings to 293 the total number of students sponsored by the County Government since 2014 when the scholarship program was unveiled by the Kibwana administration.

The scholarships covers fees, uniform and books and those who score B+ get a chance to proceed to University under full scholarship.

One of the pioneer beneficiaries of this program, Naomi Kithikii who went to Pangani Girls High School from Kiambani primary school in Makindu is now a student at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) pursuing Radiography.

“This program is God send for some of us. When i sat for my KCPE, the future looked so bleak with no hope of joining secondary school. Today I’m just a step from my dream career courtesy of this program.” said Naomi who graced the Scholarships award event.

Speaking at the event, deputy governor Adelina Mwau said, “As a government, what we are doing today is like planting a seed that in four years will bear good fruit and a few years later lead to transformation of the ninety families represented here.”

Renown Wote based business mogul  Duncun Mwilu alias Ngooni offered to sponsor up to University one student recommended by the county government.

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.

Makueni ushers the new year 2019 with a blast

At exactly 00:00hrs, Tuesday 01.01.2019, fireworks rent the air from Unoa grounds, Wote, to usher in the new year 2019 and bring down the curtains on the year 2018.

At hand to witness this showpiece were more than 5,000 residents of Makueni led by governor Kivutha Kibwana, MPs Daniel Maanzo (Makueni), Erastus Kivasu (Mbooni) and Joshua Kimilu (Kaiti) and speaker Douglas Mbilu.

At exactly 23:58 pm on 31st December 2018, every activity came to a standstill while governor Kibwana led the residents to a count down of the ticking seconds to the new year, culminating to a blast of fireworks at the strike of midnight and crossing to the new year.

The sky above momentarily turned to a constellation as excited onlookers fixated their eyes to it to enjoy the unprecedented thrill.

The fireworks display was preceded by gospel music performances by renown and upcoming artists among them 10-year-old Shukrani Waeni, a resident of Wote.

The fireworks sensation was immediately followed by hugs, hi5s and frenzied dancing as the artists took the stage for live performances.

Some of the artists who graced the occasion include among others Mercy Masika, Stephen Kasolo, Wilberforce Musyoka, Janet Otieno, Purity Kateiko and Victor Mbuvi of the Kwata Kawaya fame.

The clergy, led by ABC Archbishop Timothy Ndambuki and Bishop Titus Masika led the congregation in an interdenominational prayers for the county’s prosperity in the year 2019.

On his twitter handle, governor Kibwana exclaimed, “What a moment! I’m extremely excited to usher in the new year 2019 in praise and prayer with fellow county residents at Wote. 2019 is a year full of hope for all of us.”

He told the residents to continue working hard and to protect the good name of the county which has been earned through visible development milestones, a result of combined efforts by the leadership and the residents.

Kibwana pledged to steer the county to even higher development heights through a united leadership.

The event, dubbed #SifaBlast, was organised by the County government in partnership with gospel artist Mercy Masika Foundation.

Makueni water agenda on course

Governor Kivutha Kibwana on Monday commissioned two water projects in his bid to curb the perennial water scarcity in the county.

A 52,472 cubic metres Kimundi earth dam which serves a population of 7000 Kithuki/Kitise residents was the first to be commissioned followed by the Kikumini borehole with a yielding capacity of 9.5 cubic metres per hour.

The Kikumini bore hole is scheduled to supply water to Kikumini dispensary, Makueni CTTI and Kikumini market targeting a population of about 3000 residents.

Speaking to residents while commissioning the projects, governor Kibwana emphasized on cost effective and people centered development.

Kibwana commended the good work by project management committees across the county for supervising delivery of quality workmanship by contractors.

Nordic Ambassadors in Makueni to learn about the County’s devolution success stories

Governor Kivutha Kibwana and his deputy Adelina Mwau on Tuesday hosted ambassadors from Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway who are in Makueni to learn about the county’s devolution success stories.

Finland Ambassador to Kenya Erik Lundberg cited that the county’s outstanding performance in devolution under the leadership of governor Kibwana was the driving force behind the visit.

He said: “We wanted to visit Makueni for many reasons but primarily we are impressed by the good work you have been doing in many areas.”

Mr. Lundberg further said that they had come to learn the success stories that Makueni has to share with the rest of the county adding that it was an opportunity for both parties to share experiences and learn from each other.

Mette Knudsen, his Danish counterpart applauded the county’s model of public participation, that starts from the villages up to the county level, saying that it was worth their support.

“We think Makueni county is a place where the leadership wants to make some change for their people and they have a very positive way of engaging the population and that is worth supporting,” Knudsen said.

Knudsen was also impressed by the new Mother and Child facility that was launched last week by the county government saying that it was a milestone worth emulation by the other counties.

Although devolution had its own challenges, Governor Kibwana said they were faithful to article 1 of the 2010 constitution adding that it is an important strength when development is owned and driven by the people.

Makueni Unveils 200-bed Ultra Modern Mother and Child Hospital

Makueni has unveiled one of a kind Mother and Child Hospital at Wote.

Out of the 200 beds, 120 are for adults and 80 for neonates.

The facility, the first public hospital to offer aqua-birthing services in the country was commissioned on Thursday December 6th by national First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and Governor Kivutha Kibwana. The ceremony was also attended by regional leaders among them senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr and MPs Daniel Maanzo (Makueni), Patrick Musimba (Kibwezi West) and a host of county first ladies.

The facility is expected to be a regional specialist referral facility for maternal and child health services with a catchment population of close to 100,000.

The facility will provide amenities including:

  • Consultation Services – Gynaecological, Obstetric, Neonatal consultation services;
  • Antenatal wards – for mothers who are not in active labour;
  • Ultra-modern New Born Unit with neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU) – with baby cots, incubators and phototherapy unit;
  • Post-surgical wards – for patients who have undergone surgical operations;
  • Labour ward with private rooms and 6 delivery beds;
  • Twin operating theatre with capacity for laparoscopic surgeries;
  • Gynaecological wards – for non-pregnant women of reproductive age with clinical issues;
  • Neonatal Ward – for both sick and well neonates;
  • Aqua-birthing facility – a first in public hospitals in Kenya;
  • Laboratory services – for diagnostic support;
  • Pharmacy services;
  • PET room – for mothers with pregnancy related hypertension complications;
  • Conference facilities – for continuous staff medical education; and
  • Kangaroo Mother Care room – for preterm neonates.

According to governor Kibwana, The Makueni Mother and Child Hospital is in line with the county’s priority to ensuring the provision of the highest attainable standards of health as envisaged in our constitution.

He said it is also aligned with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s big four agenda.

“Besides the Mother and Child Hospital, the County Government of Makueni has invested heavily in the improvement of health services especially the maternal and child health,” he said.

“The county government has increased physical access to health care. For example, we have in the last five years doubled the number of the physical facilities from the initial 109 facilities in 2013 to the current number of 232 operational facilities in 2018. This has reduced the average distance to access a health care facility from 9km to 4.5 km currently,” he said further.

The facility has been constructed in phases for the last four financial years at a cost of Sh 135 Million which includes both construction and equipping.

Kibwana hosts Polish Envoy for Bilateral Trade Engagement

Governor Kivutha Kibwana on Monday hosted at Wote the Polish ambassador to Kenya Jacek Bazanski for a bilateral trade engagement with special focus on cooperative movement development.

The ambassador said his major reason for the Makueni visit was to establish a platform for Polish companies to interact with their Kenyan /Makueni counterparts for shared economic partnerships.

He said Makueni has entrenched a transparent leadership which is attracting investors, and Poland would seek to work with the county for the benefit of both the county government and his country.

Bazanski was accompanied by the Nairobi Bureau Chief of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency Michael Mazurewicz.

The two, accompanied by governor Kibwana and department of trade officials held talks with representatives of cooperators across Makueni.

Kibwana welcomed any partnership with Poland investors that would help grow the County cooperative movement to become a key socio-economic driver to the county and Country at large.

“We are desirous of establishing mutually beneficial relations with your country in the areas of agro-processing, water harvesting/conservation and road infrastructure development so that we can easily embrace technology from your country,” Kibwana told the envoy.

Kibwana said since the inception of his government, the cooperative movement has grown from 83 cooperatives to 207, with a total membership of 50,866, share capital of Kenya shillings 264,002,126, turnover of Kenya shillings 72,862,269 and members’ savings of Kenya shillings 202,389,214.

The Polish envoy agreed to co-facilitate a trip to Poland for the Makueni cooperators’ representatives to learn from best practices on cooperative movement participation in the country’s development.

Poland has one of the most developed cooperative movement which has catapulted it to the 6th biggest economy in Europe.

Makueni inks deal with Centre for Health Solutions for healthcare promotion

Makueni County has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Centre for Health Solutions Kenya (CHS-Kenya) to advance its quality of healthcare promotion.

The MoU, signed by governor Kivutha Kibwana and CHS-Kenya Chief Executive Officer Paul Wekesa on Monday seeks to:

Support in implementation and expansion of high quality HIV Care, prevention and treatment through training and capacity building activities, provision of commodities and other relevant assistance;

Provide technical advice to policy makers and to those in county health institutions that will deliver the services through the MoH;

Establish collaborative framework to institutionalize the use of evidence informed interventions through activities such as baseline assessments, program reviews and operations research;

Enhance support in monitoring activities of the National Tuberculosis Leprosy and Lung Disease (NTLD) Program through support, supervision and quarterly meetings.

The deal, according to governor Kibwana, is in line with the county government’s commitment to advance appropriate and rapid responses to the County’s HIV/AIDS epidemic and to health promotion in general.

The deal will cover 64 health facilities across the county, among them the sub county hospitals and the Makueni County Referral hospital.