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KSHS 13M THANGE INTEGRATED WATER PROJECT SET TO EASE WATER WOES IN THE WARD

For over a decade, residents of Thange Ward have endured persistent water shortages, a challenge compounded by contamination of existing water sources due to oil spills.

To alleviate this suffering and create a sustainable all-year-round access to clean, safe and sufficient water, the Government of Makueni County, through the Climate Change Unit, has officially handed over to a contractor the site for construction of the Thange Integrated Water Project. The Kshs 13M project is funded under the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) program.

The project will involve construction of a 100,000-litre water sump and intake, water distribution lines, four water points, and environmental conservation measures to protect the fragile riparian ecosystem. Water will be sourced from the Thange Springs, an underground flow from the Chyulu Hills, ensuring a clean and uncontaminated supply.

Once completed in approximately six months, the project is expected to benefit at least 730 households in Machinery Town, Moki, Mbulutini, Thange, Kavunye and Ndungi Street, as well as St. Peters Primary and Secondary Schools.

Beyond improving water access, the project will also empower residents through training in climate-smart agriculture. Community members will receive conical gardens and beehives to boost food production and create alternative sources of income.

KSH 9.525 MILLION BOOST TO TRANSFORM NGUU MASUMBA DAIRY FARMING

The Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative Development, in partnership with the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), has injected over KSh 9.425 million into the Nguu/Masumba Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society to accelerate dairy value chain development and improve the livelihoods of local farmers.

Presiding over the event, Deputy Governor Makueni-H.E Lucy Mulili presented an Inclusion Grant of KSh 805,500 and Matching grant of KSh 8.6 million for the construction and equipping of the cooperative’s office.

Mulili said the investment will support the installation of a solar-powered milk cooling system to reduce electricity costs, curb milk spoilage caused by power outages, and improve milk quality.

The project will also establish a mechanization hub equipped with modern farm machinery to boost fodder production, lower feed costs, and make mechanization services more accessible to dairy farmers.

Funded by the Government of Kenya and the World Bank through NAVCDP, the initiative is expected to increase dairy productivity, strengthen market competitiveness, enhance farmer incomes, and promote climate-smart, sustainable agriculture in the region.

The event was also attended by CECM Agriculture Damaris Kavoi, area MCA Daniel Musau and Chief Officer Japheth Kiminza among other officers.

Ksh. 110 million Boost for Makueni Fruit Processing Project

Makueni county government has received a grant of Sh 110 million from the European Union to support the ongoing fruit processing project.

The money will be injected into the Kalamba fruit processing project and used to initiate the expansion of the plant to enable it turn into a multi-processor and to create a packaging line.

The grant is part of Sh 3 billion to be allocated to 15 counties for Local Economic Development projects.

The targeted projects include construction of markets, abattoirs, fruit and milk processing factories, food storage, dairy, seed production and multiplication and fish processing.

Last year Makueni launched a fruit  and milk processing plants at Kalamba and Kikima respectively.

Other counties expected to benefit from the funds include Kwale, Taita-Taveta, Tana River, Samburu, West Pokot, Laikipia, among others.

Makueni governor Professor Kivutha Kibwana witnessed the signing of LED-IDEAS proposal by County Secretary Paul Wasanga and Devolution PS Nelson Marwa.

Makueni is the first county to comply with the European Union conditions for the grant.

Some of the compliance requirements include high standards of fruit production, good agricultural practices and devolved decision making through committees.

Counties seeking the grant are also required to observe strict anti-corruption tendencies and good governance in their operations.

They are also required to come up with projects that transform livelihoods economically.

Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, European Union representative Vincent De Boer graced the event.

“This marks the beginning of the actual implementation of the IDEAS (Instruments for devolution advise and support) a programme whose financing agreement was signed between the Government of Kenya  and the European Union,” Mr Boer said

A New Dawn for Coffee Farmers in Makueni

New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (New KPCU) is seeking to collaborate with Makueni county government to upscale the coffee sector in the county.
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr on Monday hosted a high powered delegation from New KPCU to discuss areas of partnership to revamp the sector. The areas include;
• Sensitization and enrolment of coffee farmers to the cherry fund. Makueni coffee farmers are eligible for up to Sh 11 Million worth of cherry fund. The application by farmers for the fund will commence early next month.
• Establishment of a coffee nursery and a demonstration farm,
• Capacity build farmers on best farm practises to increase coffee yield per acre,
• Capacity build coffee Cooperatives Societies on governance and leadership to improve resource management, and
• Linkage to processing, value addition and markets.

KOMEX EYES TO PIONEER DIGITAL AGRICULTURAL TRADING IN MAKUENI.

The Kenya National Multi Commodities Exchange Limited (KOMEX) is set to transform agricultural trading in Makueni through a new digital platform linked to the Warehouse Receipt System.

This was disclosed by a team from KOMEX who paid a courtsy call on Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili on Tuesday.

The digital trading platform is designed to streamline access to markets for both agricultural and non-agricultural commodities. It will also offer essential services such as price discovery, risk management, market information, trade financing, and other trade support systems, creating a more structured and transparent trading environment.

KOMEX, a financial state corporation under the State Department for Trade, is mandated to promote market access and address inefficiencies in commodity trading.

The platform is currently in the onboarding phase, targeting a broad range of stakeholders including farmers, aggregators, cooperatives, traders, warehouse operators, financial institutions, off-takers, service providers, and institutional consumers.

Led by Deputy Director Boniface Makau, the KOMEX delegation commended Makueni for being the leading producer of pulses, particularly green grams, cowpeas, and pigeon peas in the country, key commodities that stand to benefit greatly from the new trading system.

Through the digital platform, farmers will be able to list their produce and preferred selling prices. Buyers can then make direct payments to sellers’ bank accounts within 48 hours, ensuring faster transactions and reducing exploitation by middlemen.

Deputy Governor Mulili emphasized the need for national legislation to expand storage infrastructure in the counties. She noted that inadequate storage facilities often leave farmers vulnerable to exploitation and called for stronger collaboration between national and county governments to address the gap.

KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE IN ACTION

On Monday, the County Treasury welcomed two officials from Kisumu County’s Economic Planning Directorate on a learning mission focused on data and statistics. 

As Kisumu prepares its second generation County Statistical Abstract, the delegation is keen to draw inspiration from Makueni’s consistent track record in producing quality statistical abstracts. The County Government of Makueni is currently preparing it’s 6th series.

The visit also explored exciting opportunities for collaboration on statistical policies, strengthening ties between the two counties for better data-driven decision-making.

KITUI COUNTY BENCHMARKS ON MAKUENI’S SYSTEMS AUTOMATION

Kitui County Deputy Governor Wambua Kanani is leading a delegation of county officials on a two-day benchmarking tour in Makueni on automated cashless revenue collection and the automated system of supply and distribution of medical supplies to health facilities.

Makueni has embraced a cashless payment regime in an effort to minimize corruption risks, instill customer confidence and enhance accountability.

The delegation from Kitui was received in Makueni by Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr and Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili on Thursday.

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.

KITISE WATER AND IRRIGATION PROJECTS MAKE PROGRESS

A water and irrigation project in Kitise, currently 50% complete, is set to positively impact over 1,500 households in the area.

The initiative, which aims to provide clean domestic water, promote conservation agriculture, and enhance climate resilience, is making steady progress in improving the livelihoods of local residents.

Key components of the project include the construction of a 100m³ water sump, solar-powered systems to facilitate efficient water distribution to various points, and the installation of a 3.2 km pipeline leading to a booster station for sustained water supply.

Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili, who chairs the Emergency Sub-Committee within the cabinet, visited the site alongside a team of County Executive Committee Members (ECMs) and the area MCA Sebastian Muli to assess the project’s progress.

During the visit, Mulili reassured the community that the county is fully committed to enhancing water accessibility and sustainability, emphasizing the long-term benefits these projects will bring to local residents.

In addition to the water supply project, the team also visited the Kikome Irrigation Scheme Phase 3, which is designed to serve 63 households, each receiving one acre for agricultural use.

This phase of the project will involve the construction of a pipeline network covering 15 acres, the installation of infiltration galleries for the collection sump tank, and the desilting of the existing 100m³ concrete sump tank.