News

GOVERNOR MUTULA INSPECTS MBOONI’S UPCOMING 150-BED HOSPITAL UNIT

Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. on Thursday visited the New Mbooni Family Hospital which is under construction to assess work progress. The state-of-the-art 150-bed facility is set to transform healthcare delivery in the region.

Located in Mbooni Sub-County, the hospital will feature specialized units including maternity, pediatrics, newborn care, gynecology, casualty, laboratory, pharmacy, and a fully equipped theatre.

Governor Mutula assured residents that the hospital will be completed before the end of the year.

He said the project aligns with his broader vision to provide quality and accessible healthcare for all Makueni residents, with several other health facilities also underway across the county.

GOVERNOR MUTULA INSPECTS KATHEKA KAI WATER PAN REHABILITATION

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr on Wednesday toured Kanthuni Sub-ward, Makueni, to inspect the ongoing rehabilitation of the Katheka Kai water pan, a key project set to transform water access in the area.

The 30,000m³ pan, now 95% complete, is a partnership between the County Government of Makueni and the Kenya Red Cross

Once fully operational, it will serve an estimated 3,000 residents and over 1,000 livestock, offering much-needed relief to the community.

The rehabilitation works have included extensive earthworks such as site and bush clearing, excavation of the pan, formation of a silt trap and the opening of 3,500 square meters of access roads to ensure communities can easily fetch water.

This intervention is part of the Kenya’s Drought Mitigation Programme, aimed at enhancing access to reliable water sources while building climate resilience for communities often affected by dry spells.

The governor noted that the project is a major step toward sustainable water security in Makueni, ensuring households and farmers can thrive even in the face of climate change.

KWA MAKAU BOREHOLE BRINGS WATER RELIEF TO MAVINDINI

Over 1,600 households in Katithi Sub-Location, Mavindini Ward, will now access clean water following the commissioning of the Kwa Makau Borehole water project by Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. on Wednesday.

The Ksh. 10.2 million project, funded by Welt Hunger Hilfe (WHH) under the Charity Water Mission, will serve 15 villages with water for domestic and institutional use.

Key works of the project included upgrading the solar system, building a 50m³ storage tank, laying 12.5km of pipeline, constructing six kiosks and two ablution blocks, and installing six PVC tanks.

Governor Mutula, while commissioning the project, accompanied by area MCA Jonathan Kimongo, urged residents to safeguard the water infrastructure against vandalism.

Additionally, three primary schools have benefited through dedicated water connections.

GOVERNOR MUTULA RALLIES BEHIND SEKU-WOTE’S ACCREDITATION DREAM

Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. has pledged unwavering support for the accreditation of South Eastern Kenya University (SEKU) – Wote Campus as a fully-fledged university or college.

Speaking in his office when he met SEKU Vice Chancellor Prof. Douglas Shitanda and a team from the Commission for University Education (CUE), Governor Mutula emphasized on the strategic importance of achieving accreditation.

He described it as a major milestone in advancing research, innovation, and academic excellence in key areas such as agriculture, healthcare, and economic development.

The Commission for University Education, the government body responsible for licensing and overseeing higher education institutions, is in Wote to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the Wote campus to determine its readiness for accreditation.

Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili also attended the meeting.

FAO PARTNERS WITH MAKUENI TO BOOST LIVESTOCK FEED PRODUCTION

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) intends to partner with Makueni County to roll out a five-year project aimed at transforming livestock feed production and creating opportunities for young people.

During a courtesy call to Deputy Governor H.E DG-Makueni Lucy Mulili on Tuesday, the FAO team introduced the initiative—CASHA (Creating Shared Value in the Livestock Sector with Young People in Kenya’s ASALs)—which will run in 15 counties, including Makueni.

The project is set to benefit over 2,000 youth across the County by promoting sustainable fodder production, agribusiness and commercialization of livestock feeds.

Mulili welcomed the initiative, highlighting the critical role livestock plays in the livelihoods of Makueni households.

She noted that the project will enhance farmer incomes, create jobs for youth and women, and contribute to food and nutrition security in the county.

The program also integrates climate-smart practices to build resilience and ensure environmental sustainability.

MAKUENI YOUTH TO HACK THE FUTURE AT CLIMATE INNOVATION EVENT

Makueni County youths are gearing up to take center stage in the upcoming “Hack-a-GreenFuture” hackathon — a three-day, youth-led innovation challenge set for October 24–26, 2025 at Konza Technopolis.

The event organized in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme aims at harnessing the power of youth-driven technology and innovation to tackle climate resilience issues within the county and beyond.

Victor Apollo, Head of Solution Mapping and Timbuktoo Focal Point at Konza Technopolis, empasised on the transformative role of technology in addressing local challenges.

He spoke in Wote when he met top county officials.

County Secretary, Dr. Justin Kyambi affirmed the county government’s full support for youth initiatives and highlighted the broader scope of collaboration, including areas such as climate resilience, healthcare systems integration and intellectual property rights for innovations.

County Executive Committee Members, for Education and ICT, Japheth Mang’oka and Gender, Sebastian Kyoni also attended the meeting.

WOTE MUNICIPALITY EYES RECORD-BREAKING REVENUE, TAPS LESSONS FROM THIKA’S BILLION-SHILLING MODEL

Wote Municipality is setting its sights higher this financial Year, determined to go past revenue records and write a new chapter of growth.

The municipality has rolled out bold strategies, including peer-to-peer learning from Kenya’s top-performing municipalities, tightening revenue stream tracking, and recruiting more street parking attendants to boost collections including enforcement team.

In the 2022/23 financial year, Wote set a revenue target of Sh100 million but managed only Sh83 million. The following year, 2023/24, the municipality not only met its Sh120 million target but exceeded it, pulling in Sh123 million.

In 2024/25, the bar was raised to Sh130 million, and once again the municipality outdid itself, collecting Sh141 million.

For the current financial year, Wote has set its sights on Sh150 million. According to the Municipality Manager, Evelyn Mutua, the team is not just aiming to hit the target,they plan to surpass it.

In this spirit, a team of revenue, enforcement, sanitation and environment officers from Wote visited Thika Municipality for a peer-to-peer learning program on revenue collection and modern waste management.

Thika Municipal Manager, Gathii Kanyi, revealed that his municipality raked in Sh1.3 billion last year and is now chasing an even more ambitious Sh1.8 billion this year.

The Wote team was introduced to the Fukuoka Method of solid waste management, a semi-aerobic landfill technology first piloted in Africa by Kiambu County in 2016.

The Fukuoka system uses fermentation heat and natural thermal convection to introduce air into landfills, accelerating aerobic decomposition and drastically cutting harmful methane emissions.

Wote Municipality is also eyeing the establishment of a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) to tackle waste segregation, recycling, and resource recovery.

According to Mutua, the project is in line with Governor Mutula Kilonzo’s vision of sustainable waste management, a critical step as the municipality’s population is projected to swell from the current 161,996 to 186,900 by 2030.

MAKUENI FARMERS SET TO LEARN THROUGH DEMO PLOTS

The County Department of Agriculture on Monday held a sensitization forum for extension officers on the establishment and management of Ward Agriculture Demonstration Plots.

The one-day training focused on step-by-step guidance in key value chain sectors—apiculture, mango, poultry, tomato and dairy—aimed at equipping officers to better guide farmers on improved farming practices.

Speaking during the session, CECM Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative Development, Liz Muli, emphasized the importance of standardized procedures, clear timelines, and defined responsibilities in setting up demo plots.

“These demonstration sites will serve as practical classrooms where farmers can learn hands-on modern farming methods,” she noted.

The project will set up demonstration farms in every ward across the county, totalling 120 demos: 26 in apiculture, 22 in dairy, 24 in mango, 29 in poultry and 19 in tomato.

Funded by National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project, the initiative aims to promotes efficiency, accountability and transparency while strengthening knowledge transfer to farmers.

Once fully implemented, the program will enhance food security, create employment and economically empower farming households across the county.

COMMUNITY HEALTH PROMOTERS TRAINED ON COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO ENHANCE DEAF COMMUNITY ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES

Community health promoters have completed a five-day intensive training on basic communication skills designed to improve access to health information and services for the deaf community.

The program, conducted in collaboration with key partners, was a major step toward enhancing inclusivity in healthcare and advancing the goal of Universal Health Coverage.

According to the county’s Department of Preventive and Promotive Health, the training equips promoters with the skills to deliver services that are not only accessible to the deaf but also respectful of their language and culture.

RELIEF FOR KASIKEU RESIDENTS AS LUMU BOREHOLE BRINGS SAFE WATER TO THOUSANDS

Over 2,000 residents of Lumu and Kalimbini in Kasikeu Ward now have access to safe and clean water, thanks to a partnership between the Makueni County Government and WHH.

For years, the residents endured severe water shortages due to the inadequacies of the Nolturesh water supply. Today, they enjoy reliable access to fresh water from the newly completed Lumu borehole, which now serves the community at the last mile.

Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili, accompanied by Water ECM John Kieti, area MCA Reuben Nzai, and WHH officials, commissioned the project on Thursday. The borehole project features six kiosks fitted with digital meters to promote transparency in governance and reduce non-revenue water losses.

The initiative is part of a broader partnership between WHH and the County Government of Makueni to enhance water distribution from high-yielding sources, advancing the Last Mile Water Connectivity agenda championed by Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr.