Skip to content Skip to left sidebar Skip to footer

News

ZIMBABWE APRM DELEGATION TOURS MAKUENI TO LEARN FROM KENYA’S COUNTY GOVERNANCE MODEL.

A high-level delegation from Zimbabwe’s African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is in Makueni County for a benchmarking visit aimed at drawing valuable lessons from Kenya’s progress in governance, citizen engagement, and implementation of National Plan of Action (NPoA) recommendations.

The APRM is a voluntary self-monitoring instrument established by the African Union to promote good governance and inclusive development. Through NEPAD/APRM in partnership with the Council of Governors, Kenya has domesticated the mechanism at the county level, birthing the County Peer Review Mechanism (CPRM).

The CPRM serves as a powerful tool for counties to assess their governance systems and service delivery performance. It enables documentation of key milestones, identification of challenges, and sharing of best practices—fostering accountability and peer learning across counties.

Zimbabwe’s visit seeks to gather insights from Kenya’s pioneering experience in the APRM review process. Makueni, in particular, stands out as one of the 12 counties that volunteered to participate in the inaugural CPRM rollout, showcasing notable reforms and innovations in governance.

The delegation is led by Ambassador James Manzou, Chair of the National Governing Council of APRM Zimbabwe. The team is expected to gather practical knowledge and policy learnings that will inform their own national and sub-national review frameworks.

Makueni Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili welcomed the delegation, reaffirming the county’s commitment to continuous improvement in governance and service delivery.

Chief officer Planning, Budget and Revenue Boniface Mutua noted the county’s initiatives, such as full automation and a cashless revenue collection system, as key innovations driving transparency and efficiency in local resource mobilization.

The team also commended Makueni’s robust public participation model, which actively involves citizens in shaping development priorities and decision-making processes.

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT TO TAKE CENTER STAGE IN MAKUENI’S BUDGETING PROCESSES

Makueni’s youth are poised to gain significantly from the 2025/2026 financial year budget and beyond, as the county government focuses on allocating program-based funding for their initiatives and projects.

This announcement was made on Friday by the County Executive Committee Member for Gender, Children, Youth, Sports, and Social Services, Eng. Sebastian Kyoni, during a two-day Youth Sector Working Group training on Gender-Responsive Budgeting. The workshop, facilitated by VSO-Kenya, aimed to equip youth champions with skills to advocate for youth participation in budgeting processes, ensuring adequate resource allocation for their programs.

These champions will now engage and mobilize their peers at the grassroots level to actively take part in these processes.

Kyoni emphasized that this initiative aligns with Makueni County’s strategic efforts to fully integrate youth into development, in line with Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr.’s vision of social and economic inclusivity, where no one is left behind.

The forum also reviewed a draft youth strategy designed to formulate targeted interventions addressing youth challenges and fostering their growth and development.

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT TO TAKE CENTER STAGE IN MAKUENI’S 2025/2026 BUDGET

Makueni’s youth are set to benefit from enhanced development opportunities as the county government prioritizes funding for youth-led initiatives in the 2025/2026 Financial Year Budget.

During a Youth Sector Working Group meeting held in Wote, which brought together the county government and partners working with young people, County Executive Committee Member for Youth, Sebastian Kyoni, emphasized that the implementation of key youth empowerment programs will be a cornerstone of the 2025/2026 budget.

Kyoni urged young people to actively participate in the upcoming budget public participation exercise to ensure adequate allocation of funds to youth programs at all levels, starting from the ward level.

The targeted youth empowerment programs include:

• Support for the registration of youth-led businesses to access niche markets;

• Financial and capacity-building support for young people engaged in value addition;

• Strengthening youth advocacy initiatives;

• Support for business start-ups for individuals or youth groups.

The Department of Gender, Children, Youth, Sports, and Social Services has committed to creating and supporting a collaborative space for organizations in the youth sector to effectively implement the youth empowerment strategy.

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM LAUNCHED IN MAKUENI

The Anita Mbinya Foundation, in partnership with Brighter Monday Kenya, has launched a new initiative dubbed Generation to Kazi, targeting young people aged between 18 and 35 years who have completed technical training lasting six months or one year.

The program which was unveiled at Mbuvo KMTC, aims to equip participants with essential soft and digital skills to enhance their employability and support their transition into entrepreneurship.

Anita Mutula, Makueni County First Lady and Executive Director of the Anita Mbinya Foundation, is urging youth across the county to take advantage of the training opportunities, which will be rolled out in vocational centres and County Technical Training Institutes (CTTIs) throughout Makueni.

The First Lady was flanked by Brighter Monday Kenya officials ,area MCA Kennedy Maneno, Devolution CECM Nickolas Nzioka,COs Felistus Mutune( Office of the Governor),Harvey Mulei(Health),Chief of Staff Mercy Kinyi among other county officials

Yemeni experts keen on Makueni’s Agricultural and Health innovations as they conclude their tour

A delegation of Yemeni nationals that yesterday embarked on a day-long knowledge-sharing journey of Makueni County to gain insights into the region’s prosperity in how devolution works has concluded its tour.
The group that was on Thursday received by H.E governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr before conducting a comprehensive tour of the Mother and Child unit, the Iviani farm and finally to the Kalamba fruit processing and manufacturing Plant says they sought to understand the governor’s ideologies in running the County that could be applied back in their own country.
The Yemeni delegation composed of top lawyers, lecturers of leading universities, activists amongst others who make the National Survey Committee.
During their tour of Makueni mother and child hospital the visitors were impressed by the health information systems and daily routine services offered in the facility.
At Iviani farm, the delegates were enthralled by the young farmer’s efforts in value-addition where ripe mangoes are turned into crisps for local consumption and export.
While at Kalamba Fruit processing factory, the nationals witnessed the entire process –from sorting mangoes, processing and to packaging of juice. The visitors were keen on the facility’s advanced technologies and quality control measures in the factory.
 

Wote Water Supply Restored after Flooding Crisis

The water supply to Wote town has been restored courtesy of a partnership between the county government and the Kenya Red Cross Society.

The town was thrown into a crisis after Kaiti sump and Kamunyolo dam, the two major sources of water to the town were swept away and damaged by raging floods.

The county government put up an emergency request to KRCS, which moved with speed and installed water pumping and purification equipment besides the county government’s treatment plant, whose sump was damaged.

According to Water and irrigation Chief Officer Martin Kitavi, the two installations are now able to supply 1,400 cubic meters of water to the distribution system, pumped within 20 hours a day.

Kitavi said Mwaani bore hole, another water source, is able to supply 400 cubic meters, bringing the total output to the town’s water supply system to 1,800 cubic meters daily.

Governor Kivutha Kibwana toured the project on Monday to inspect its progress before its official commissioning by KRCS Secretary General Abbas Gullet on Wednesday.

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.

WOTE STADIUM PROGRESS VISIT.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. conducted a surprise visit to the ongoing Wote Stadium today in order to determine the reasons for its slow progress.

Accompanied by Nicholas Nzioka, the County Executive Committee Member in charge of Sports, as well as his counterparts in Roads and Devolution, the Governor toured the facility and held discussions with the contractor.

Governor Mutula pledged to investigate the outstanding issues regarding the stadium and contact the appropriate national authorities to ensure its completion within this year.

WOTE MUNICIPALITY RECEIVES SUPPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL BY-LAWS

Wote Municipality is poised for sustainable urban development, supported by a robust policy framework designed to enhance service delivery.

Through support from UK funded Sustainable Urban Economic Development (SUED) program, the municipality is among 12 others across Kenya selected for support in developing an Urban Economic Plan, undertaking feasibility studies for key value chains and infrastructure projects and development of Bylaws to attract investors.

The SUED team is currently supporting the municipality to develop by laws which will help in service delivery.

The proposed by-laws cover: Land Use and Control, Agricultural Produce Aggregation, Trade Promotion and Regulation,Waste Management, Animal Health & Urban Livestock Management, and Environmental Management

On Thursday, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. met with SUED Program Manager Lain Nelson and Governance Advisor Jeremiah Nyambane to discuss the program’s implementation. Also in attendance were Lands and Urban Planning Executive Committee Member Dr. Paul Musila, Wote Municipality Manager Evelyn Mutua and Emali-Sultan Hamud Manager Phillip Ngila

The by-laws will later be customized for Emali-Sultan Hamud and Mbooni-Kee municipalities.

WOTE MUNICIPALITY LEVERAGES KISUMU’S URBAN MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE FOR SMARTER GROWTH

A team from Wote Municipality, led by Chief Officer for Lands and Urban Planning, Jackson Daudi, and Municipality Manager, Evelyn Mutua, on Wednesday and Thursday embarked on a peer learning mission to Kisumu City with the aim of strengthening Wote’s urban management systems.

The delegation engaged Kisumu City leadership and technical teams on critical areas including modern methods of waste management and recycling, urban development control, revenue maximisation, environmental management, and modern sanitation systems. Kisumu’s innovative approaches in integrated waste handling, enforcement of urban planning regulations, and automation of revenue collection provided valuable insights that Wote seeks to replicate.

Wote intends to leverage these lessons to build a clean, orderly, and sustainable Municipality that offers high quality of life for residents while attracting investors through a well-regulated, environmentally friendly, and economically vibrant urban space.