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Devolution Executive Japheth Musyoka Mang’oka – evaluates School affected by heavy rains

Devolution Executive Japheth Musyoka Mang’oka on Saturday visited Mba Primary School in Kako/Waia, Mbooni Sub-County to assess the basic physical structures in the school following Strong winds that blew off roofs of several classrooms on Friday.

Mang’oka observed that the area experienced torrential rainfall which was accompanied by powerful gusts of wind leading to destruction of a section of the school, with the ECD classrooms being the most affected.
He assured parents that infrastructural personnel will be send on Monday to ascertain levels of damage caused.

However, he revealed that the school will receive over 600 seedlings from the Environment Department which will be planted in the school compound to blunt the school buildings from chilling power of stiff winds.

 

Seed distribution exercise

At Chief’s Camp, Kibwezi town in Kikukmbulyu South ward, Kibwezi East Sub-County, elated farmers receive planting seeds donated by the County Government.

Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives Development Executive Committee Member Ms. Joyce M. Mutua who oversaw the distribution exercise asked the farmers to embrace good agricultural practices including soil conservation during planting and weeding to enhance the productivity of the farming land in Makueni County.

At least 130,000 households will benefit from certified planting seeds. The seeds consist of 149 metric tonnes of maize, 40 tonnes of beans, 127 tonnes of sorghum and 85 tonnes of green grams. The exercise was contacted across the 30 wards. Wards in upper and mid-zones received Maize and beans while ward in the low land areas received Sorghum and green grams. Residents were urged to take advantage of the county donated climate-resilient seeds for sustainable agriculture.

 

Going green - Makueni

Going Green

On Saturday, several County Government officials joined forces with other Environmental Champions and greening movements to plant trees across the county. The exercise is part of the county’s wider strategy to increase forest cover, restore degraded land, protect various habitats, and build climate change adaptation and resilience in the long run.

The events were graced by CECMs Dr. Sonia Nzilani (Environment), Nicholas Masila Nzioka (Gender, Children, Youth, Sports & Social Service), Japheth Mang’oka (Devolution), Permanent Secretary Nominees Terry Mbaika (Devolution), and Ephantus Kimotho (State Department for Forestry).

 

MAKUENI, USAID SIGN KSH.1BILLION JOINT WORK PLAN

Makueni county has inked a joint work plan worth KSh.1 Billion with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to stimulate the growth of the local economy for the 2022/23 financial year.

The partnership was signed by Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr and USAID Mission Director in Kenya David Gosney on Wednesday in Wote.

Some of the key activities identified for collaborative implementation are:

Provision of nutrition commodities to support treatment of moderate acute malnutrition for the under-fives and pregnant and lactating women , strengthening of Community Health Strategy using Community Health Volunteers (Heath and Nutrition); strengthening child protection committees and operationalization of Makueni Development and Rescue Centre, strengthening integrated GBV prevention and management ( Social Protection); and increase Public Participation on budgeting process as well as conduct civic education in the county ( public participation).

Others are promoting the development of cottage industries, supporting manufacturing-related innovations, promoting and registration of cooperative societies, strengthening institutional capacities in the cooperative movement (Trade and Cooperatives Development); launching tourism circuits in Makueni, documentation and digitization of indigenous knowledge (Tourism and cultural development); and  Crop, Livestock Pests and Disease Control and agricultural Extension Programme ( Agriculture).

Bill Gates visits healthcare workers in Makueni

Bill Gates the co-founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation visited Makueni County on a discovery trip to see the impact of Primary Health Care in the County.

Accompanied by Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior, Bill Gates visited the Kathonzweni Level 3 hospital where he met with medical staff and Community Health Volunteers and later toured the mother and Child Care unit at the Makueni County Referral Hospital.

Makueni County has enlisted a significant number of Community Health Volunteers who have contributed to better prenatal care and safer deliveries in the region.
The County health team presented some of the key steps taken to improve service delivery, monitor the purchase and distribution of health commodities as well as steps the County took to ensure the facilities remained open for immunizations even during the Covid -19 pandemic.
Governor Mutula lauded the County health workers for using data to manage health care and health commodities.
Further, the County has shortened access to medical facilities for the residents and introduced a system where health centers can re-invest the cash paid for services in running costs and improvements required.

Why Rural industrialization is Kenya’s future

H.E Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr on Thursday paid a courtesy call to the Makueni Agri-hub at Kwa Kathoka for an insight about the operations of the oil seed pressing plant.

The plant, owned by Italian firm Eni Kenya, processes vegetable oil from cotton, castor, and croton seeds for bio-refining to make biofuel.

According to a report on the project status “Seeds for Energy”, the firm is currently involving 25,000 farmers, with an early agricultural production projection of 30,000 tons per year by 2023 and an expected 200,000 tons per year by 2026 when the firm will be fully operational.

Three months ago, the firm shipped out its first vegetable oil cargo to Gela bio-refinery-one of the top innovative bio-refineries in Europe.

The Governor was thrilled by the fact that thousands of farmers in Makueni have turned to farming the firm’s raw materials, creating indirect employment opportunities for them, and directly where many people have secured jobs in the industry.

More important, Governor Mutula was elated by the company’s circular economy model in producing Agri-feedstock raw materials making livestock feeds production less cost.

 

 

 

Makueni County Executive Committee Members and the County Attorney take oath of office

Makueni County Executive Committee Members and the County Attorney take oath of office on Tuesday, 8th, November 2022 at the County headquarters, Wote.

The Executive Committee now begins the onerous journey of delivering H.E Mutula Kilonzo Jnr’s development clarion call, “Wauni wa Kwika Nesa” to the people of Makueni.

 

PICTURES: Makueni County Executive Committee Members and County Attorney swearing-in at the County headquarters, Wote.

 

Makueni residents challenged to turn to silkworm farming as demand increases

Makueni Deputy Governor H.E Lucy Mulili has praised a group of women from Kiatine, Wote/Nziu ward, Makueni Sub-County for taking the challenge in silkworm farming which is taking shape in the County.

The Deputy Governor spoke on Saturday when she toured Tosheka Textiles’ Kiatine silkworm cages.

Lucy Lau Bigham, the entrepreneur behind Tosheka Textiles called on the Makueni government to support extension and training services for silkworm farming.

The venture, according to Lau is a sustainable community-empowering textile initiative that bridges the economic gap for women.

Lau observed that Eri silkworms attract a competitive sale price of about Sh. 200 per kilogram.The worms majorly feed on caster beans with farmers at the outskirts of Wote town embracing farming of castor plants in plenty.

Through several degumming processes, silk produces fibre which through spinning is converted into a yarn hence making of clothes.

National Government School feeding program

School-going children from 115 schools in Makueni are set to benefit from a feeding program, courtesy of the National Government.

The relief food, which comprises 280 bags of rice and 126 bags of beans targets primary schools in Kibwezi East and West, Mbooni, and Kilome constituencies which are most vulnerable.

The food is distributed by the county government and will act as an incentive for families to enroll and keep children in school

 

The Presidential Education Reforms Taskforce Visit to H.E The Governor

The Presidential Education Reforms Taskforce on Wednesday paid a courtesy call to Makueni Governor H.E Mutula Kilonzo Jnr for a briefing ahead of their 2-day public engagements in the County.

The Dr. Halima Saado Abdilahi led team will tomorrow engage the public at The Makueni Boys.

The taskforce is evaluating the country’s Education System and later come up with key recommendations on the best implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).