News

MAKUENI ROLLS OUT INVESTMENTS IN FIVE KEY AGRICULTURE VALUE CHAINS.

The Government of Makueni County through National Agricultural Value Chain Development Program (NAVCDP) is spearheading massive investment in five key agricultural value chains namely: Bee keeping, dairy, horticulture (tomato farming), mango production and poultry farming.

The overarching goal of this program according to Livestock and Fisheries Chief Officer Japheth Kiminza is to commercialize 50℅ of the agricultural activities in those value chains, promote agri-business and create job opportunities in the rural economy.

Speaking during a validation forum of the program at Tawa in Kisau/Kiteta ward, Kiminza encouraged farmers to join these value chains through which the government will provide seed capital, farm chemicals, extension services and marketing of their produce. These services will be provided through SACCOs and Cooperatives.

MAKUENI, ICRAF, AND KENYA RED CROSS PARTNER TO SUPPORT FLOOD VICTIMS.

At least 60 households in Makueni severely affected by the March-April-May rains through floods have each received Kshs 5,000 courtesy of a partnership between Makueni County Government, Center for International Forestry Research & World Agroforestry Centre (CIFOR-ICRAF) and Kenya Red Cross Society.

The assistance, according to Joyce Kasyoki, ICRAF’s Senior Executive Manager- Global Programs, is intended to address the immediate needs of the affected families.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr on Wednesday hosted officials from the two organizations led by Joyce Kasyoki and George Ndolo, Kenya Red Cross Lower Eastern Regional Head, for a review of ongoing collaborations and attendant impacts. The teams later visited a number of the affected families, mapped by Kenya Red Cross.

CIFOR-ICRAF has continued to actively support Makueni County in developing strategies and interventions to enhance environmental resilience, thereby improving community livelihoods.

GOVERNOR MUTULA KILONZO JR ON WEDNESDAY INSPECTED ONGOING CONSTRUCTION WORKS OF THE NEW SULTAN HAMUD FRESH PRODUCE MARKET.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr on Wednesday inspected ongoing construction works of the new Sultan Hamud fresh produce market.

Traders are expected to move to the new structure by next month when it will be completed.

Governor Mutula said the modern market will serve traders operating by the roadside and directed county officers to ensure that water is connected to the market by the time of completion.

He also disclosed that Safaricom is building a modern maternity wing at the Sultan Hamud Hospital worth Ksh. 40m.

The governor was accompanied by County Executive Committee Members Eng. Sebastian Kyoni, Roads; Japheth Mangoka, Devolution; Dr Sonia Nzilani, Trade; and Tulimani MCA, Kyalo Mumo among others.

MAKUENI LAUNCHES THE PROCESS FOR COMPREHENSIVE NUTRITION POLICY DEVELOPMENT

On Tuesday, the Department of Health Services held a stakeholder sensitization forum towards development of a county nutrition policy.

The initiative, spearheaded by Nutrition International, brought together the departments of agriculture,Office of the County Attorney,education-ECDE,Water, gender,Finance,State department of social protection, State department of Education,National Drought Management Authority among others.

The policy intends to foster multi-sectoral collaboration, streamline coordination, and establish a framework for resource mobilization as well as a framework for monitoring and evaluation .

During the forum, Dr. Paul Musila, County Executive Committee Member for Health Services, highlighted the importance of mobilizing domestic resources and documenting Makueni’s good health and nutrition practices .

GOVERNOR MUTULA KILONZO JR ON WEDNESDAY VISITED THE FAMILY OF PROMINENT BUSINESSMAN JAMES MBALUKA WHO LOST HIS WIFE.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr on Wednesday visited the family of prominent businessman James Mbaluka who lost his wife to condole with the family at his Sultan Hamud home.

Naleous Mwende passed on 8th July 2024 and will be buried on 26th July 2024. The governor urged the local community to shun violence during demonstrations saying some businesses along Mombasa Road were looted and some even razed in the past few weeks.

He was accompanied by ECMs Japheth Mangoka, Devolution; Eng. Sebastian Kyoni, Roads; Dr. Sonia Nzilani, Trade; MCAs Reuben Nzai, Kasikeu; Kyalo Mumo, Tulimani; and Cosmas Kaleli, Emali/Mulala Ward.

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.

MAKUENI AND PATH TRAIN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS IN ADVANCED HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY

Makueni County, in partnership with the Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), has embarked on a significant initiative to train 16 biomedical engineers in the latest healthcare technologies.

This collaboration aims to enhance the engineers’ skills in developing innovative solutions for healthcare and public health initiatives.

As part of the training, the engineers were introduced to Survey CTO Collect V2.81, a mobile data collection platform tailored for researchers and professionals working in offline environments.

This tool is expected to improve the efficiency and accuracy of data collection in various healthcare settings.

These trained biomedical engineers will be deployed to conduct comprehensive facility audits across different departments within county hospitals.

Their primary role will involve supervising over 57 healthcare facilities, with a focus on auditing equipment in laboratories, radiology units, central sterile services departments (CSSD), operating theaters, and computed tomography (CT) facilities.

Following the audits, the engineers will electronically submit detailed reports to the Department of Health Services in the County, ensuring that the data collected is promptly and accurately processed for further action.

MAKUENI AGRICULTURE ECM JOYCE MUTUA SAYS THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS ROLLED OUT PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT AGRI-BUSINESS AND THE AGRICULTURE VALUE CHAIN.

Makueni Agriculture ECM Joyce Mutua says the County Government has rolled out programs to support agri-business and the agriculture value chain.

Mutua said such programmes include the Agriculture Business Development Program (ABDP) among others.

She was speaking in Makindu when she met with participants at a training programme organised by Kitise Rural Development and Christian Aid on good governance. She lauded the two groups for empowering local residents understand key governance issues. The event was attended by Makueni County Chief Officer Devolution Daniel Ndolo, KRD and Christian Aid officials among others.

DEPUTY GOVERNOR LUCY MULILI CHAMPIONS EDUCATION AND DISCIPLINE AT SCHOOL EVENTS.

Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili graced the prize-giving ceremonies at Kitaingo Springs of Hope Primary School and Nduluni Secondary School on Saturday .

At Kitaingo Springs of Hope, Mulili emphasized the crucial role of parental involvement in children’s lives, especially during school breaks, to safeguard against incidents of abuse.

Addressing students at Nduluni Secondary School, Mulili underscored the importance of discipline in achieving academic success.

Mulili highlighted education as a powerful equalizer and encouraged students to focus on their studies without being hindered by their backgrounds. She motivated them to aspire to become future leaders through dedication to learning.

Furthermore, Mulili urged students across schools to refrain from destructive actions such as burning and damaging property during strikes, reminding them of the added burden it places on their parents.

The area member of County Assembly for Ilima and Kasikeu wards Jonathan Muthoka and Reuben Musau were in attendance.

GOVERNOR MUTULA LAUNCHES MULIMA WATER TREATMENT PROJECT AND COMMISSIONS KEY INFRASTRUCTURE IN MBOONI

In a months time, residents of Mbooni, Tulimani and Kisau/Kiteta Wards in Mbooni Sub-county will have access to quality treated water from Mulima dam.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr on Thursday launched the treatment works project, which on completion will produce 2,400 cubic meters of treated water per day.

To increase the dam’s capacity, Governor Mutula said his government has budgeted Shs 40M in the 2024/25 Financial Year for further desilting and distribution.

During his development tour of Mbooni and Kisau Kiteta Wards, Governor Mutula also commissioned Tawa Sub-county Hospital Digital X-Ray machine, Ngwani drift and inspected Kisauni earthdam.

He was accompanied by County Assembly Majority Leader Eng. Kisungi wa Katete, MCAs Alexander Mulemba (Mbooni), Kyalo Mumo (Tulimani) and Darius Mainga of Kisau/Kiteta and a number of Executive Committee Members.