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KITUI BENCHMARKS MAKUENI ON DIGITAL FARM EXTENSION

A delegation from Kitui County on Monday benchmarked digital agricultural extension services in a courtesy visit to Makueni County, aimed at strengthening technology-driven service delivery to farmers.

The delegation, led by Kitui’s Agriculture CECM Dr. Stephen Mbaya Kimwele, was hosted by Makueni’s counterpart Liz Muli at the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative Development.

Technical and policy teams from both counties shared experiences on e-extension models, digital farmer registration, real-time advisory services, data use for decision-making, climate-smart agriculture and market linkages.

The discussions also touched on value chains such as mango, highlighting how digital platforms can support timely advisory and reduce post-harvest losses.

Also attended by Chief officers Jonathan Kambi (Livestock – Kitui), Japheth Kiminza (Livestok – Makueni) and Felistus Mutune (Agriculture – Makueni), the engagement is an indication that inter-county collaboration is a pathway to improved productivity, resilience and farmer incomes through modernized extension systems.

NEW MAKUENI PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD MEMBERS SWORN IN, URGED TO CHAMPION WORKERS WELFARE.

Makueni County Public Service Board has been fully constituted after three newly appointed members took the oath of office in a ceremony marked by a strong call for integrity and protection of workers’ welfare.

Josephine Mbena Mwau, Zebedee Mwandi and Deborah Mutheu Kyalo were sworn in for a six-year term in an exercise conducted by the county attorney and witnessed by Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. and his deputy, Lucy Mulili.

Mutula challenged the board to uphold integrity and stamp out malpractice within the county workforce, warning that no employee should take shortcuts under its watch.

He directed the now fully constituted board to prioritise staff welfare, describing human resources as Makueni’s greatest asset and a key driver of the county’s social and economic transformation.

The governor further called for swift implementation of a clear rewards and sanctions framework to recognise hardworking employees while enforcing accountability.

Deputy Governor Mulili urged the board to entrench professionalism and remain sensitive to both county development goals and staff growth.

NEWLY APPOINTED MEMBERS SWORN IN AS MAKUENI CLIMATE CHANGE FUND BOARD BECOMES FULLY CONSTITUTED

Makueni County Climate Change Fund Board is now fully constituted following the swearing-in of newly appointed members .

The oath of office was administered Monday by the County Attorney and witnessed by Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr.

Speaking during the ceremony, Governor Mutula urged the board members to serve as climate change ambassadors within their communities and across the county. He called on them to spearhead resource mobilization efforts to strengthen the county’s climate action plans.

The governor also challenged the board to take a leading role in addressing the environmental impacts of mining activities and to guide the county in implementing proactive measures to protect residents from the adverse effects of climate change.

He further emphasized the importance of positioning the county to benefit from carbon credit opportunities as global momentum toward carbon markets continues to grow.

MAKUENI, VITAMIN ANGELS PARTNER TO TACKLE ANAEMIA THROUGH NEW NUTRITION STRATEGIES.

Makueni County, in collaboration with Vitamin Angels through the transforming lives consortium, on Friday concluded a four-day co-creation workshop held in Makindu and Wote.

The forum brought together community leaders, pregnant and lactating mothers, development partners, Community Health Promoters (CHPs), healthcare workers, administrators, and influencers, including spouses and mothers-in-law.

The workshop focused on developing strategies to address anaemia, which currently stands at 40 percent in the county, according to data from the Kenya Health Data Information System (KDHIS).

Dr. Lucy Kanya, Regional director for Vitamin Angels noted that while pregnant women have been receiving daily Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) supplements, many still experience other micronutrient deficiencies, adding that the deficiencies are linked to adverse outcomes such as anaemia, prematurity, and low birth weight.

Further ,while IFA supplementation coverage is high, adherence according to Dr. Lucy remains low as evidenced in the poor health outcomes such as anaemia, which currently stands at 40 percent in the county according to data from the Kenya Health and Information System.

During the workshop,participants validated research findings to support the implementation of multiple micronutrient supplementation within the antenatal care platform in the county.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends MMS which contains 15 essential vitamins and minerals for positive pregnancy and birth outcomes.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vitamin Angels in 2025 to support the introduction of MMS within the ANC platform in Makueni.

The programme will be implemented across 13 health facilities, including the county referral hospital, six sub-county hospitals, four health centres, and two dispensaries.

County Nutrition Coordinator Ruth Kaloki said the workshop outcomes will guide the development of tailored messages and materials suited to the Makueni context.

She added that the strategies will be rolled out alongside the distribution of MMS and monitored to inform potential countywide scale-up.

MAKUENI RESIDENTS TURN OUT FOR BUDGET CONSULTATIONS

Residents from all 60 sub-wards in Makueni County on Wednesday gathered at designated venues to participate in public participation on the 2026/2027 financial year budget estimates and the County Fiscal Strategy Paper.

The forums, scheduled across February, are structured to capture views at multiple levels. Sub-ward meetings are set for 11th and 12th, ward consultations for 17th and 18th, while sessions targeting municipalities and the diaspora will take place on the 19th. A youth-focused virtual forum is planned for the 16th.

The engagements are designed to give citizens an opportunity to influence development planning by identifying priority projects aligned with local needs and livelihoods.

County Executive Committee Member for Finance, Damaris Kavoi, officially opened the exercise in Nziu Sub-ward before proceeding to Kiteta Sub-Ward, where she attended deliberations by residents.

Participants in Kiteta proposed several priority areas, including the acquisition of a dental chair and an incinerator for Tawa Sub-County Hospital, construction of ECDE classrooms, expansion of water projects, and support for farmers through provision of certified seeds.

Elsewhere, Chief Officers Felistus Mutune and Dr. Geoffrey Ngovi attended public participation forums at Kitundu and Kitise sub-wards, respectively.

MAKUENI DEEPENS ULTRA-POOR GRADUATION EFFORTS

In a bid to streamline poverty alleviation efforts, the Makueni County Government in 2025 launched the Ultra-Poor Graduation Policy to promote socio-economic empowerment and sustainable development.

Against this backdrop, the county has opened its doors to development partners to support vulnerable households in transitioning from extreme social and financial exclusion to self-sufficient participation in the economy.

One such initiative is the Survival Intervention Programme, spearheaded by Compassion International in collaboration with the Baptist Church in the Kathyaka area, Kikumbulyu Ward.

The programme supports pregnant women by providing maternal healthcare from pregnancy through delivery, and continues to offer educational support to their children until completion of their studies.

In addition, the organisation is implementing complementary programmes aimed at improving livelihoods, including smart agriculture for food security, apiary farming, and family planning services.

Speaking during the launch of the Survival Intervention Programme, Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili, who was the chief guest, commended development partners for walking alongside the county in ensuring residents access essential services.

She further highlighted key development projects implemented under Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr.’s administration, among them the Athi Tunguni Water Project, which serves Kikumbulyu North, Makindu, and Nguumo wards.

MAKUENI COUNTY EYES GLOBAL MARKETS WITH NEW HORTICULTURE PACKHOUSE PLANS

Makueni County has stepped up efforts to improve the handling and marketing of horticultural produce amid rising production and recurring seasonal gluts.

A joint team from the county’s Departments of Agriculture and Transport and Infrastructure on Thursday conducted a benchmarking visit to the Horticulture Crops Development (HCD) Centre at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to assess requirements for establishing and operating a standard pack house.

The delegation, led by Agriculture CECM Elizabeth Muli and Transport and Infrastructure CECM Eng. Peter Mumo, held consultations with HCD officials on pack house design standards and best practices in produce handling that meet international quality and export requirements.

HCD Deputy Director for Regulation and Compliance Collins Otieno said proper produce protection is critical for maintaining quality, meeting export standards, and enabling efficient aggregation to enhance market competitiveness.

Makueni County currently operates packhouses and cold rooms at Kalawani, Kavuthu, and Kalongo, and plans to strengthen market linkages while developing a mega packhouse to reduce post-harvest losses and improve farmer returns.

MAKUENI COUNTY PILOTS REGISTRATION OF MAKUENI CARE BENEFICIARIES AHEAD OF COUNTYWIDE ROLLOUT.

The Makueni County Government has piloted the registration of beneficiaries for the proposed Makueni Care programme, also known as Mutula Care, as preparations intensify for a countywide rollout later this month.

The pilot exercise, conducted on Friday targeted residents in the Muumbuni cluster , covering 20 villages, and the Kikumini cluster, covering 10 villages in Muvau-Kikumini Ward.

During the exercise, residents identified and vetted the most needy and deserving members of their communities at the village level to benefit from the programme, which is aimed at advancing universal health coverage in the county.

The vetted beneficiaries will be onboarded onto the Makueni Care programme ahead of its official launch scheduled for March.

The exercise was led by Makueni County Executive Committee Member for Health Services, Joyce Mutua, and included mass registration for the Social Health Authority (SHA) as well as testing of the registration system to assess its efficiency and reliability.

She urged residents to actively participate in the registration drive, noting that higher registration and utilisation rates would translate into increased revenue allocations to the county.

She said enhanced SHA registration would strengthen the county’s health financing and support the sustainability of health services.

Mutua further encouraged residents to turn up in large numbers once the full rollout.

The registration exercise is being carried out in partnership with the Social Health Authority (SHA), with residents encouraged to enrol to enhance access to affordable healthcare services across the county.

MAKUENI COUNTY LAUNCHES PHASE THREE OF DRIVER TRAINING

The Makueni County Government on Wednesday launched Phase Three of its youth driving training programme at Kee Market, enrolling 33 youths from Kee Ward for a two-month course aimed at equipping them with driving skills and enabling them to acquire driving licences.

The programme, implemented for the third year in Kee Ward, is being rolled out across three wards. It was launched on Tuesday in Masongaleni Ward, where 46 youths are benefiting, and is scheduled to reach Tulimani Ward next week.

County Executive Committee Member for Gender, Children, Youth, Sports and Social Services, Eng. Sebastian Kyoni, said the initiative is designed to enhance youth employability by providing practical, market-driven skills.

Kee Ward MCA Albanus Manzu praised Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. for supporting the programme, describing it as a critical step in expanding economic opportunities for young people.

MAKUENI’S PROXIMIE HEALTH INNOVATION DRAWS GLOBAL ATTENTION

Makueni County’s pioneering adoption of Proximie technology is attracting global attention, with international teams visiting the county to experience firsthand its transformation of public healthcare.

Speaking on Thursday during an interview set to feature at an international film festival, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. said Proximie has revolutionized surgical care by improving efficiency, easing the workload of health workers, and creating continuous learning opportunities for local medical teams.

He said his administration is committed to running a human-centered government that prioritizes the welfare of both citizens and healthcare workers by reducing workplace frustrations through modern technological support.

Proximie allows remote specialists to virtually “scrub in” during surgeries, offering real-time guidance through augmented reality. County officials say the technology has reduced patient referrals to Nairobi, lowered healthcare costs, and improved access to timely specialist care.

The platform was lauded for enabling strengthened skills transfer, enabling local clinicians to treat patients effectively while building local capacity.

Makueni is the first county in Africa to integrate the technology into its health system, positioning it as a benchmark for digital healthcare innovation in Kenya and beyond.