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HOPE FOR GENDER VIOLENCE SURVIVORS

Did you know that Makueni County boasts a dedicated Gender Violence Recovery Center within its County Referral Hospital?

Since its launch in 2019, this center has been a sanctuary for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, providing vital psychosocial support for those facing emotional, physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.

According to the facility’s Counseling Psychologist Dorah Abok, in June alone, the center handled 11 cases of defilement, one case of sodomy, two rape cases, one incident of physical gender-based violence, and four cases of intimate partner violence.Five of these cases involved incest.

Dorah highlighted some trends, noting that defilement cases spike during school holidays, while incidents of intimate partner violence surge over weekends and public holidays.

The Makueni Gender Violence Recovery Center not only offers comprehensive services but also fosters a healing environment to help survivors reintegrate into safe spaces. In a collaborative effort, the county has partnered with Nairobi Women’s Gender Violence Recovery Center to extend further support to survivors of SGBV.

For assistance, the Makueni GVRC hotline is available for calls, reverse calls, and texts at 0700346405. Reach out and reclaim your safety.

Hope for cotton farmers as Kibwana moves to revive cash crop

Makueni Governor Prof Kivutha Kibwana has launched campaigns for the revival of cotton farming in the county.

Talks are in top gear to initiate the revival of cotton farming with mobilization targeting previous cotton sectors in the area already launched.

Addressing delegates at the Business to Business Forum held at the Kusyombunguo hotel in Wote Town on Thursday Prof Kibwana said efforts are being made to revive the cash crop killed by mismanagement of the industry during the Kanu regime.

He said the Department of Agriculture has been mobilizing farmers to sensitize them about ongoing efforts to restart the cash crop farming in the area.

“We want to revive the cotton sector, here in Makueni it used to thrive in the past and we must find a way of getting it back,”Prof Kibwana said.

He said that a number of stakeholders in the sector have been contacted and that they have already expressed interest in working with the county government to support the cotton farming revival.

Said Prof Kibwana: “We had a meeting yesterday with farmers. We have begun sensitizing our farmers to go back to cotton farming.”

The governor called on local parents to allocate land to their young children interested in cash crop farming.

Agriculture ECM Lawrence Nzunga said the department was keen on supporting the revival of cotton farming in Makueni saying it was an activity with great potential for the local residents.

“We are talking to people about it. We are happy that many are getting interested and experts are already here to provide professional guidance as we plan the revival,” said Mr Nzunga.

Delegates from various counties participated in the forum organized by Kenya Crops and Dairy Market Systems Activity and sponsored by FeediFuture and USAID.

Hope for beauty queens behind the bars

Makueni deputy governor Adelina Mwau has encouraged inmates at Makueni women remand prison not to lose hope but rather realise their full potential in life while behind the bars.

Mwau was addressing the inmates during a beauty pageant event organised by both her office and Humanity Rescue Foundation on Saturday 10th.

She pointed out on the need for a mentorship and counselling programme to help the inmates in actualizing their purpose of living even way after their service at prison.

“Jails in Kenya should not be a scare, it should be another home where inmates get holistic rehabilitation before being re-intergrated back to the community.” Mwau said.

HRF, prisoner’s program manager Ms. Mwende said that their organization seeks to enhance psycho-social development of inmates as well as provide equal opportunity for full participation in the society.

Ms. Wayua was crowned as the Miss. Makueni Women Prison – 2019 after competing with 7 other colleagues.

HONOURING HEROES/HEROINES

During the 61st Mashujaa Day celebrations at Matiliku, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. awarded medals to four individuals for their outstanding service to the community.

Loise Nzilani Muthamia was honored for her exceptional midwifery skills, having safely delivered countless children in Wote since 1986.

Masaku Mutua, a 100-year-old, was recognized for his generous donation of land, which houses Matiliku Sub-county Hospital, Matiliku School, the district headquarters, and the market. He has also donated land to several churches.

Among the other recipients were four-year-old Blessing Maluki, who was named the best national champion in the solo verse category at this year’s Kenya Music Festival, Ken Ouma Sanya,a clinical officer at Kyaani Health Centre whose commitment to his duties has earned him respect and admiration of the community and Peter Mwanthi, a diligent support staff employee of Makueni County.

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Writing is a system of linguistic symbols permitting one to transmit and conserve information. Writing appears to have developed between the 7th millennium BC and the 4th millennium BC, first in the form of early mnemonic symbols which became a system of ideograms or pictographs through simplification

History in the Making

A journey that slowly began in 2013 through a senatorial by-election following the passing on of pioneer Senator Mutula Kilonzo Snr has today blossomed into the most coveted county job.

H.E Mutula Kilonzo Jnr has taken over the mantle of leadership as the second governor of the great county of Makueni. H.E Lucy Mulili was also inaugurated as the second deputy governor.

“This is a momentous journey that began in 2013 when I accidentally ventured into politics after the death of my father. Since then, the people of Makueni have walked all the way with me, first as senator for two terms and now as governor,” said the new county boss.

Accompanied by family, relatives, friends and thousands of residents, Kilonzo Jnr was sworn in at Unoa grounds Wote in a ceremony presided over by Hon. Justice Robert Limo.

The event was also graced by Wiper Party Leader H.E Kalonzo Musyoka , outgoing governor Prof. Kivutha Kibwana, Senator-Elect Daniel Maanzo, County MP-Elect Rose Museo, Makueni MP-Elect Suzanne Kiamba, outgoing Makueni Assembly Speaker Hon. Douglas Mbilu, members of the county assembly elect, among other leaders.

HER EXCELLENCY ANITA MUTULA, THE FIRST LADY OF MAKUENI AND CHAIRPERSON OF THE ANITA MBINYA FOUNDATION, LED A FOOD DISTRIBUTION EXERCISE TODAY TO 38 SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND CHILDREN’S HOMES ACROSS ALL SIX SUBCOUNTIES IN MAKUENI.

Her Excellency Anita Mutula, the First Lady of Makueni and Chairperson of the Anita Mbinya Foundation, led a food distribution exercise today to 38 special schools and children’s homes across all six subcounties in Makueni.

Anita emphasized the importance of doing good and caring for our orphaned and vulnerable children.

“Giving is a gift, especially when done with love. It’s not about the quantity of what we give, but the amount of love we pour into our giving. I have a deep love for children, and our foundation will continue to seek out more partners to ensure the sustainability of such noble programs,” Anita said.

A total of 2,186 children were reached as 6,000 kilograms of maize flour and 2,400 liters of cooking oil were distributed.

HEALTH SERVICES ECM COMMENDS PROGRESS ON MBOONI SUB- COUNTY EMERGENCY FACILITY

Makueni ECM in charge of Health Services, Joyce Mutua, on Wednesday conducted an unannounced visit to Mbooni Sub-County Hospital to evaluate the facility’s service delivery and inspect progress on the construction of a new modern emergency and family hospital.

During the visit, the ECM interacted with patients seeking medical care and took note of ongoing operations within the hospital.

She expressed satisfaction with the pace of construction, noting that the upcoming facility—expected to be completed later this year—will significantly enhance emergency response capacity and improve overall healthcare services for residents of Mbooni and surrounding areas.

The visit also reaffirmed the department’s commitment to strengthening healthcare systems across the county.

She emphasized her dedication to supporting Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr.’s vision of accessible and quality healthcare for all Makueni residents.

HEALTH EXPERTS PARTNER TO COMBAT RABIES AND YELLOW FEVER IN MAKUENI COUNTY

The Department of Health Services has partnered with researchers from the University of Nairobi, KU Leuven (Belgium), and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) to engage stakeholders in developing innovative approaches to prevent rabies and yellow fever.

Makueni County is among the regions with a high burden of rabies, a vaccine-preventable zoonotic viral disease that affects the central nervous system.

As part of this collaboration, the department hosted a consultative meeting on Monday,employing participatory research methods to allow stakeholders to share diverse perspectives. These contributions will play a pivotal role in shaping policies aimed at mitigating rabies and yellow fever in the county.

Additionally, field visits will be conducted in selected healthcare facilities within the county to assess the prevalence of rabies and gather further insights for intervention strategies.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT MOVES TO STRENGTHEN SERVICES AT KIBWEZI LEVEL 4 HOSPITAL

The Department of Health has reaffirmed its commitment to improving service delivery at Kibwezi Level 4 Hospital following an inspection visit by County Executive Committee Member for Health, Joyce Mutua, and the County Health Management Team.

The visit focused on assessing the hospital’s capacity to effectively serve residents of Kibwezi East and to enhance its ability to respond to emergency cases along the busy Mombasa Road corridor.

The team also emphasized the importance of prioritizing critical and high-demand medical commodities to maintain consistent and efficient service delivery.

Acting Chief Officer for Health Services, Dr. Geoffrey Ngovi, lauded the hospital’s management for its teamwork and operational efficiency.

County Director of Health, Dr. Mwatha, also underscored the need to ensure emergency supplies remain adequately stocked to support lifesaving interventions.