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WOTE MUNICIPALITY RECEIVES SUPPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL BY-LAWS

Wote Municipality is poised for sustainable urban development, supported by a robust policy framework designed to enhance service delivery.

Through support from UK funded Sustainable Urban Economic Development (SUED) program, the municipality is among 12 others across Kenya selected for support in developing an Urban Economic Plan, undertaking feasibility studies for key value chains and infrastructure projects and development of Bylaws to attract investors.

The SUED team is currently supporting the municipality to develop by laws which will help in service delivery.

The proposed by-laws cover: Land Use and Control, Agricultural Produce Aggregation, Trade Promotion and Regulation,Waste Management, Animal Health & Urban Livestock Management, and Environmental Management

On Thursday, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. met with SUED Program Manager Lain Nelson and Governance Advisor Jeremiah Nyambane to discuss the program’s implementation. Also in attendance were Lands and Urban Planning Executive Committee Member Dr. Paul Musila, Wote Municipality Manager Evelyn Mutua and Emali-Sultan Hamud Manager Phillip Ngila

The by-laws will later be customized for Emali-Sultan Hamud and Mbooni-Kee municipalities.

WOTE MUNICIPALITY LEVERAGES KISUMU’S URBAN MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE FOR SMARTER GROWTH

A team from Wote Municipality, led by Chief Officer for Lands and Urban Planning, Jackson Daudi, and Municipality Manager, Evelyn Mutua, on Wednesday and Thursday embarked on a peer learning mission to Kisumu City with the aim of strengthening Wote’s urban management systems.

The delegation engaged Kisumu City leadership and technical teams on critical areas including modern methods of waste management and recycling, urban development control, revenue maximisation, environmental management, and modern sanitation systems. Kisumu’s innovative approaches in integrated waste handling, enforcement of urban planning regulations, and automation of revenue collection provided valuable insights that Wote seeks to replicate.

Wote intends to leverage these lessons to build a clean, orderly, and sustainable Municipality that offers high quality of life for residents while attracting investors through a well-regulated, environmentally friendly, and economically vibrant urban space.

WOTE MUNICIPALITY EYES RECORD-BREAKING REVENUE, TAPS LESSONS FROM THIKA’S BILLION-SHILLING MODEL

Wote Municipality is setting its sights higher this financial Year, determined to go past revenue records and write a new chapter of growth.

The municipality has rolled out bold strategies, including peer-to-peer learning from Kenya’s top-performing municipalities, tightening revenue stream tracking, and recruiting more street parking attendants to boost collections including enforcement team.

In the 2022/23 financial year, Wote set a revenue target of Sh100 million but managed only Sh83 million. The following year, 2023/24, the municipality not only met its Sh120 million target but exceeded it, pulling in Sh123 million.

In 2024/25, the bar was raised to Sh130 million, and once again the municipality outdid itself, collecting Sh141 million.

For the current financial year, Wote has set its sights on Sh150 million. According to the Municipality Manager, Evelyn Mutua, the team is not just aiming to hit the target,they plan to surpass it.

In this spirit, a team of revenue, enforcement, sanitation and environment officers from Wote visited Thika Municipality for a peer-to-peer learning program on revenue collection and modern waste management.

Thika Municipal Manager, Gathii Kanyi, revealed that his municipality raked in Sh1.3 billion last year and is now chasing an even more ambitious Sh1.8 billion this year.

The Wote team was introduced to the Fukuoka Method of solid waste management, a semi-aerobic landfill technology first piloted in Africa by Kiambu County in 2016.

The Fukuoka system uses fermentation heat and natural thermal convection to introduce air into landfills, accelerating aerobic decomposition and drastically cutting harmful methane emissions.

Wote Municipality is also eyeing the establishment of a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) to tackle waste segregation, recycling, and resource recovery.

According to Mutua, the project is in line with Governor Mutula Kilonzo’s vision of sustainable waste management, a critical step as the municipality’s population is projected to swell from the current 161,996 to 186,900 by 2030.

Wote Municipality Eyes Massive Investments From SUED Partnership

Wote Municipality is poised for major investment attractions thanks to a partnership with United Kingdom’s sponsored Sustainable Urban Economic Development Programme (SUED).

The Municipality is among 12 others in the country selected through competitive bidding to take part in the 6-year initiative.

The programme entails supporting the 12 municipalities to develop bankable urban investments, improving urban economic planning and business environment reforms through public-private partnerships.

On Friday, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior, Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili, Wote Municipality Board members held a sequel briefing meeting with SUED implementation team and representatives of the British High Commission at the Council of Governors offices, Nairobi, to finalize the development plan for Wote Municipality.

Agro-processing, trade and investments, fruit processing, waste management among others are some of the partnership areas of interest identified.

On 7th September 2022, Governor Kilonzo Jnr signed the transfer of several functions and attendant resources from county departments to the municipality giving it the required impetus for enhanced growth.

WOTE MUNICIPALITY BOARD MEMBERS SWORN INTO OFFICE

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr on Tuesday Witnessed swearing-in of the Wote Municipality Board members after they were vetted and approved by the County Assembly.

Mutula has tasked the board to move with speed and implement the functions he signed off for transfer to the municipality to enhance service delivery.

Some of the priorities the board will be tasked to address include waste management, water provision, drainage and sewer system for Wote town, Solar lighting of the markets within the municipality, roads maintenance and upgrading of urban centres, especially Wote town to instill investor confidence.

The members sworn into office are:

1. Benjamin Masungwa

2. Everlyn Mulewa Kimuli

3. Romeo Ndeveni

4. Benjamin Wambua Mutua

5. Daniel Kisyang’a

6. Paul Maundu Mutua

A 7th member, Angela Kiamba,  who is out of the country will be sworn at a later date.

WOTE, KMTC CAMPUS

On Friday, the County’s Culture, Music, and Arts Directorate in collaboration with the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) hosted the annual college’s Cultural Day at Wote Campus.

Talented medical students showcased their creativity through various cultural performances including a beauty pageant and creative wear.

The Wote Campus KMTC drama team along with other institutions and groups has been actively participating in the annual Kenya Music Cultural Festival, representing Makueni County with sponsorship from the Department of Trade, Marketing, Industry, Culture, and Tourism.

This cultural day is a build-up for participation in the 97th KMCF edition in December 2024 notwithstanding celebration of the diverse cultural tapestry that enriches the institution, highlighting the integral role of cultural activities in fostering community spirit and unity of the school.

Wote, 30th August 2023-Makueni’s indigenous knowledge patented for profits

Days after the National Museum of Kenya through the National Product Initiative (NPI) in partnership with the Government of Makueni County rolled out the Indigenous Knowledge Documentation and Digitization (IK DODI) pilot project, the team has today handed over the project report to H.E Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr during a courtesy call.
The one-month documentation exercise brought together the Akamba clans Governing Council of Elders, Young Champions of Culture and the community members who volunteered information as informants.
The project was successful and the Young Champions of Culture were able to collect assets that the County Government plans to package and valorise through taking them to the market and ensure the community benefits.
The governor was taken through the Makueni County Indigenous Knowledge Innovation Bank which will be the quiver from which the community shall store their cultural knowledge in two categories of Cultural Expression and Genetic Resource.

World Prematurity Day commemoration in Wote, Friday.

National Health Director General Dr. Patrick Amoth, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr and First Lady Makueni – Anita Mutula launch the reviewed Kangaroo Mother Care Implementation Guidelines during the World Prematurity Day commemoration in Wote, Friday.

Makueni has trained 25 healthcare workers who offer Kangaroo Mother Care for pre-term babies in six health facilities. This has ensured 99.4 percent survival of all premature births recorded in the facilities.

World Environment Day 2017

The World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. On June 5th the nations of the world came together in making the day. Worldwide, it was held in Canada and Egerton took the privilege of hosting the event countrywide as the other Counties do it.

“Connecting people to nature” the theme of World Environment Day 2017, implores us to get outdoors and in to nature, to appreciate its beauty and its importance, and to forward the call to protect the earth that we share.

Assistant Director Environment- Joseph Munyao explaining 2017’s theme

 ‘Without a healthy environment we cannot end poverty or build prosperity. We all have a role to play in protecting our only homes: we can use less plastic, drive less, waste less food and teach each other to care’ secretary-general, Antonio Guterres.

Just like philosopher Antonio said in the above statement, Makueni County used the UN Environment-led global event to showcase to the people the beauty of its natural environment on land and water and how to conserve.

County Warden addressing the crowd on importance of conservation

Mtito Andei been the host town, the department of Water, Irrigation and Environment (W.I.E) in Makueni County, partnered with Kenya Wildlife Service, Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Serena Hotel, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), and primary school pupils joined hands to clean up the outskirts Mtito Andei town.

Stakeholders, partners and pupils cleaning the outskirts of Mtito Andei

To celebrate World Environment Day 2017, Kenya Wildlife Service offered free entrance to Tsavo West to those who participated in making the World Environment Day successful in Makueni County