90 pupils from needy backgrounds who sat for their KCPE in 2022 have secured full scholarships to their secondary schools of choice thanks to the County Government of Makueni.
The 90 were selected from the 30 wards after a thorough vetting exercise by the Department of Education.
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr who led the scholarships award ceremony in Wote said the county government will closely monitor the awardees’ educational progress so that non veers off the right course of the education system.
A total of 89 young people in Kathonzweni Ward have benefited from the “Ujuzi Teke Teke” empowerment program, receiving tools of trade to kick-start their enterprises.
Tools provided include barbering & salon kits, welding equipment, mechanical repair kits, tailoring kits and car wash machines. Mbuvo and Kathonzweni clusters each received a car wash set-up, while Ngomano cluster benefited from an irrigation kit.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Department of Gender, Children, Youth, Sports, and Social Services, combines hands-on mentorship from seasoned business owners (master craftsmen) with the provision of start-up kits, enabling youth to establish and grow their businesses.
County Executive Committee Member Eng. Sebastian Kyoni terms the program a catalyst for local economic growth and self-reliance. Youth Director Boniface Muting’a led the distribution exercise on Thursday.
President William Ruto: 83 households inhabiting part of Kiu Wetland in Makindu will be relocated and compensated. The government will then gazette the wetland as a strategic water tower. #NationalTreeGrowingDay
Eighty-one students from Makueni County who sat the 2024 KCSE examinations have secured full scholarships from the county government to pursue studies in universities of their choice. Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. on Monday presided over their orientation ceremony.
The governor congratulated the beneficiaries for their exemplary performance and urged them to embrace dedication and determination as they begin their higher education journey. He assured them of the County’s full support, noting that education remained central to transforming livelihoods and households.
Since its inception, the Makueni County Scholarship Programme has supported 758 learners. Currently, 295 are in secondary schools while 217 are in various universities across the country. The initiative targets bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds who would otherwise have missed out on higher education opportunities.
The Governor reminded the students to uphold discipline, remain focused, and represent their families, communities, and the county with pride. He challenged them to keep the flag of Makueni high and to become problem-solvers in society through their academic and professional pursuits.
H.E Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr inspects kaiti sand dam at kwa kitungu, outskirts of Wote town where the County is engaging over 150 people daily in the construction works.
Once complete, the sand dam which has a
Capacity of 70,000 cubic meters, 3metres high and 85 metres long is expected to serve a rural capacity of 1200 Households and also Wote town residents.
Over 6,000 registered farmers across Makueni County will receive sunflower seeds for planting during the October-November- December season.
On Friday Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. flagged off 14,121 kgs of sunflower seeds and will be distributed to the farmers.
The initiative is courtesy of the Edible Oil Promotion Project (EOPP), a national government program by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA).
The project aims to reduce the country’s reliance on imported edible oil and enhance local communities’ nutritional needs. Makueni County leads the nation in farmer registration for this project.
Governor Mutula said AFA has committed to supplying sunflower oil extraction machines to the county.
He encouraged more farmers to enroll in the program and take advantage of sunflower’s drought-resistant nature, turning it into a profitable venture through edible oil production.
CECM Agriculture Joyce Mutua advised farmers to buy certified seeds to ensure better yields and minimize potential losses during the upcoming rainy season.
The first cohort of 60 trainees has reported at ATC Kwa Kathoka ready to commence a 6-month agricultural training program fully sponsored by the County Government of Makueni in partnership with Anglican Development Services Kenya (ADS- Kenya) and Micro Enterprises Support Programme Trust (MESPT).
The training initiative is geared towards creating economic opportunities and enhancing employability for youth and Women of productive age through green skills and capacity development along the horticulture, dairy and poultry value chains.
The trainees underwent orientation on Wednesday, an exercise which was presided over by Agriculture Executive Committee Member Joyce Mutua and flanked by her Education counterpart Elizabeth Muli.
Soon, the Makueni Agriculture Training Centre at Kwa Kathoka will be an autonomous entity once the proposed bill is passed by the Assembly. The center will provide specialized and high-quality agricultural education, training, and related services, and will play a pivotal role in enhancing agricultural knowledge and skills among the community, potentially contributing to local agricultural development.
During the orientation exercise, Mutua announced that the school will be officially inaugurated next week on 14th November 2023 by Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr alongside other senior officials from the National Government.
Close to 5000 school going children drawn from various learning institutions in Makueni have benefitted from dignity packs in a bid to improve their personal hygiene and overall performance in schools.
The initiative, spearheaded by the County First Lady Nazi Kivutha in partnership with the department of Gender, Children, Culture and Social Services, entails distribution of dignity packs for both boys and girls and sensitization on menstrual hygiene management and general personal hygiene.
The dignity pack for the boys include three inner wears, bar soap, toothbrush and paste while the girls received extra packets of sanitary towels each to last them approximately a term in school.
According to Nazi, lack of sanitary towels is one of the major causes of absenteeism from schools leading to poor performance and in other cases dropping out of schools. As such, the program will lead to improved retention of girls in schools.
The program that closed on Thursday at Malili Township primary school and ABC Ngaamba Secondary school in Malili sub-county targeted boys and girls in disadvantaged primary and secondary schools, county technical training institutes as well as special schools.
At least 500 selected households from Kilome Sub-County will benefit from emergency livestock feeds program, courtesy of a partnership between the County Government of Makueni and the European Union (EU) through the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA).
The feeds will address the crisis of reduced quantity of pasture and fodder for livestock due to the little rainfall experienced in the area during the October-December rain season.
The distribution exercise was launched yesterday (Thursday) by Agriculture CEC Joyce Mutua and officials from NDMA in Kiima-kiu/Kalanzoni ward, and is ongoing in various locations within the sub-county.
Previously, the department of agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock, Fisheries, and Cooperatives Development has implemented various contingency activities in the livestock sector. Some of them are treatment and deworming of animals, vaccination of goats against Contagious Caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP 3), one of the most severe diseases of goats, and capacity building of officers on Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards.
Over 500 farmers drawn from Tulimani Ward in Mbooni on Friday received 4000 fruit seedlings (2000 Hass avocado and 2000 Apple mangoes).
This initiative by the County Government of Makueni through the Department of Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative Development is meant to enhance farmers’ income in 2 to 3 years when the seedlings are expected to mature. This will, in turn result in improved livelihoods.
The distribution exercise was graced by the Chief Officer Agriculture and Irrigation Daniel Ndolo, who was flanked by the area MCA and Majority Leader Hon. Kyalo Mumo, Sub County Administrator Phyllis Kithome and a host of officers from various county departments and the National Government.
