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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 Eyes Massive Investments From SUED Partnership

Wote Municipality is poised for major investment attractions thanks to a partnership with United Kingdom’s sponsored Sustainable Urban Economic Development Programme (SUED).

The Municipality is among 12 others in the country selected through competitive bidding to take part in the 6-year initiative.

The programme entails supporting the 12 municipalities to develop bankable urban investments, improving urban economic planning and business environment reforms through public-private partnerships.

On Friday, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior, Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili, Wote Municipality Board members held a sequel briefing meeting with SUED implementation team and representatives of the British High Commission at the Council of Governors offices, Nairobi, to finalize the development plan for Wote Municipality.

Agro-processing, trade and investments, fruit processing, waste management among others are some of the partnership areas of interest identified.

On 7th September 2022, Governor Kilonzo Jnr signed the transfer of several functions and attendant resources from county departments to the municipality giving it the required impetus for enhanced growth.

WOTE MUNICIPALITY BOARD MEMBERS SWORN INTO OFFICE

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr on Tuesday Witnessed swearing-in of the Wote Municipality Board members after they were vetted and approved by the County Assembly.

Mutula has tasked the board to move with speed and implement the functions he signed off for transfer to the municipality to enhance service delivery.

Some of the priorities the board will be tasked to address include waste management, water provision, drainage and sewer system for Wote town, Solar lighting of the markets within the municipality, roads maintenance and upgrading of urban centres, especially Wote town to instill investor confidence.

The members sworn into office are:

1. Benjamin Masungwa

2. Everlyn Mulewa Kimuli

3. Romeo Ndeveni

4. Benjamin Wambua Mutua

5. Daniel Kisyang’a

6. Paul Maundu Mutua

A 7th member, Angela Kiamba,  who is out of the country will be sworn at a later date.