News

HUDUMA MASHINANI PHASE II KICKS OFF IN THANGE WARD

The Makueni County Government on Tuesday kicked off Phase II of the Huduma Mashinani outreach programme at Machinery Market in Thange Ward, Kibwezi East Sub-County, bringing essential government services closer to residents.

The outreach offers key services including national ID applications, birth and death certificates, KRA and NTSA services, NSSF registration, pensions, group registration, HELB support, affordable housing registration and IEBC voter registration, among others.

The programme will proceed to Nzaui/Kilili/Kalamba Ward at Matiliku Market on Wednesday, 21st January 2026, Nguu Masumba Ward at Kwa Ndava Market on Thursday, 22nd January 2026, and Kasikeu Ward at Kasikeu Market on Friday, 23rd January 2026. Huduma Mashinani Phase II will continue across the county until February 2026 as part of the county’s commitment to accessible and inclusive service delivery.

HUDUMA MASHINANI OUTREACH BENEFITS OVER 8,700 RESIDENTS IN SIX WARDS

A total of 8,745 residents across six wards have benefited from the Huduma Mashinani Outreach Programme, a joint initiative by the Government of Makueni County and Huduma Kenya aimed at bringing essential government services closer to the people.

The turn out was as follows:

• Kikima – 700

• Nunguni – 964

• Salama– 1,634

• Wote– 1,311

• Emali– 2,446

• Kambu – 1,690

Birth and death certificates for Kikima are ready for collection at Chief’s offices while those from other areas will be ready by 5th January 2026.

The programme has significantly eased access to government services by reducing travel costs and waiting time. The exercise will resume in January 2026 to cover all wards across the county, ensuring no resident is left behind.

HUDUMA MASHINANI DRAWS OVER 1,600 RESIDENTS AS FREE SERVICES REACH MTITO ANDEI

Nthunguni Market came alive on Wednesday as more than 1,600 residents accessed government services during the Huduma Mashinani outreach in Mtito Andei Ward.

The exercise brought essential services directly to the community, including free affidavit services introduced for the first time to ease access to critical documentation.

County Executive Committee Member for Gender, Children, Youth, Sports and Social Services, Eng. Sebastian Kyoni, said the programme has now covered 16 wards, underscoring the county government’s drive to take services closer to the people.

Area MCA Francis Mulwa praised the initiative, noting that it spared residents long journeys to government offices and delivered timely services at the grassroots.

HUDUMA MASHINANI CONTINUES TO BRING SERVICES CLOSER TO KALAWA RESIDENTS

Residents of Kalawa turned up in good numbers to benefit from the ongoing Huduma Mashinani Outreach Programme by the County Government of Makueni, which continues to decentralize essential government services to the grassroots.

During the exercise, 1,429 residents accessed various services including civil registration, identification documents processing, and other government services normally offered at Huduma Centres. The initiative is part of the county’s broader effort to ensure residents conveniently obtain critical services within their localities.

The Huduma Mashinani Programme continues to move across wards in the county, enabling residents to access services closer to home while strengthening efficient and inclusive public service delivery.

HUDUMA MASHINANI CONTINUES IN MUVAU/KIKUMINI WARD SERVING MORE THAN 1,000 RESIDENTS

More than 1,000 residents benefited as the Huduma Mashinani Outreach Programme continued in Muvau/Kikumini Ward, bringing essential government services closer to the residents at Kwa Kathoka ATC grounds. The initiative by the County Government of Makueni in partnership with Huduma Kenya enabled residents to access key services including ID applications, birth and death certificates, SHA registration, HELB services, police abstracts and other government services at the grassroots. A total of 1,062 residents were served during the outreach.

Speaking during the exercise, Chief Officer for Gender, Children, Youth, Sports and Social Services Nicholis Mutua urged residents to fully utilize such opportunities whenever they are brought closer to the community, noting that the programme is designed to ensure they access government services conveniently without travelling long distances.

Area MCA Kawembe Mutinda who was present during the outreach lauded the initiative, saying it has eased access to vital services.

HOW UJUZI TEKE TEKE IS EMPOWERING MAKUENI YOUTH

In June 2024, Keli Kithome (24 years) a resident of Ivingoni/Nzambani ward graduated from Wote Technical Training Institute with a certificate in plumbing.

Like many young graduates, Keli initially struggled to find meaningful work, resorting to menial jobs to make ends meet. However, his fortunes changed when he became a beneficiary of Ujuzi Teke Teke, a hands-on skills training and tooling program initiated by the Government of Makueni County.

Through this transformative initiative, Keli received a complete set of plumbing tools, enabling him to establish his own plumbing consultancy business.

Keli’s story mirrors that of other 75 young beneficiaries from across the county who have received tools of trade in various vocational fields. The initiative represents a concrete effort by the Government of Makueni County under Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr’s leadership to address youth unemployment by equipping young people with both skills and the necessary tools to kickstart their entrepreneurial journeys.

The tools distribution exercise in Ivingoni/Nzambani and Nguu/Masumba wards was officiated by Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili, accompanied by Eng. Sebastian Kyoni, the County Executive Committee Member for Gender, Children, Youth, Sports, and Social Services and Nguu MCA Daniel Musau.

HOW DATA IS POWERING MAKUENI’S DEVELOPMENT VISION

Did you know that data can define the development path of a community? And did you also know that Makueni has been quietly steering its decisions using a robust, people-driven data system that begins at the cluster level, a model widely celebrated as participatory budgeting?

Annually, the Department of Finance has deployed teams to clusters across the county to collect data directly from the public and county staff working at the grassroots. These sessions capture real community priorities, challenges, and insights that ultimately shape key development blue prints including the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP).

In partnership with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the county compiles and analyzes this data before subjecting it to validation by data producers from county departments and semi-autonomous government agencies. The validated findings are then refined into the County Statistical Abstract, an official publication launched annually as the county’s authoritative data resource.

This data is instrumental in tracking progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), monitoring county performance, and informing the next phase of development planning. It provides a clear picture of what is working, what needs improvement, and where resources should be directed.

According to Acting Director in charge of Socio-Economic Planning, Stanlaus Matheka, the Statistical Abstract also supports the domestication of national data from KNBS.

In 2024, Makueni was recognized as the best-performing devolved unit in implementing the SDGs, a prestigious title the county has held for six consecutive years.

As the conversation around development deepens, next week,we will explore what sustainable Development Goals really mean for communities and why every resident should care about them.

Before then,tell us, how many SDGs do you know and which ones matter to you?

HOSPITALITY PLAYERS IN MAKUENI TRAINED ON STANDARDS AND INDUSTRY TRENDS

The Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA) on Wednesday held a key training session for members of the Makueni Hospitality Association (MHA) to sensitize them on hospitality standards for accommodation and catering establishments.

The training, which also doubled as MHA’s Annual General Meeting, brought together operators from hotels, resorts, restaurants, cafes, bakeries, caterers, curio and craft traders, travel agencies and transport service providers.

Graced by H.E DG-Makueni Lucy Mulili, participants were also equipped with skills on financial management, smart investment and leadership trends in the hospitality sector. The aim was to improve service delivery, customer satisfaction and professionalism within Makueni’s fast-growing tourism industry.

The event provided a platform for networking, sharing best practices, discovering new business opportunities and building partnerships across the sector. It also opened discussions on how operators can collaborate to elevate Makueni’s position as a tourism destination.

Speaking during the event, Mulili affirmed the county government’s commitment to creating a friendly and enabling business environment. She encouraged local hoteliers to uphold quality and innovation in their services to drive economic growth in the region.

The forum that was attended by CECM Trade, Marketing, Industry, Culture and Tourism Dr. Sonia Nzilani attracted key players including banking representatives and other stakeholders.

HOSPITALITY LEADERS TRAINED ON KEY HOSPITALITY SKILLS

Managers and directors from the hospitality sector in Makueni and Machakos counties have on Thursday completed a two-day training program designed to enhance their skills and expertise in the industry.

The training, organized by the Makueni Tourism Directorate in collaboration with the Tourism Fund, covered financial management, human resource development and emerging trends in the workplace.

The training, facilitated by the Tourism Professional Association, brought together 29 participants from both counties who were awarded certificates of participation.

The event was graced by Makueni CECM for Trade, Marketing, Industry, Culture, and Tourism, Dr. Sonia Nzilani, and was also attended by Chief Officer Dr. Jossylyn Nzilani.

HOPE FOR VULNERABLE CHILDREN AS MAKUENI FINALIZES PLANS FOR RESCUE CENTRE LAUNCH

Makueni’s Department of Gender, Children, Youth, Sports, and Social Services, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, has completed the validation of key guidelines for the operationalization of the Makueni County Child Rescue Centre.

The centre, one of Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr.’s flagship social protection projects, aims to provide care and support to child victims and survivors of violence and abuse, as well as children living on or off the streets.

County Executive Committee Member Sebastian Kyoni, who presided over the validation exercise in Wote on Thursday, emphasized the county government’s commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of vulnerable children.

The validation of the guidelines—which outline intake procedures, rehabilitation, reintegration, and follow-up processes for children at the rescue centre—paves the way for the gazettement of the facility as an official Child Rescue Centre and its subsequent commissioning.