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SECOND ANNUAL MAKUENI TOURISM CIRCUIT CONCLUDES AT TSAVO

Today marked the conclusion of the second annual Makueni County tourism circuit that kicked off on Tuesday at Alem Hotel in Mbooni sub-county spanning four days. Led by the CECM for Trade, Marketing, Industry, Culture and Tourism Dr. Sonia Nzilani, the circuit brought together hoteliers, tour operators and cultural enthusiasts from across the county to explore various attractions and facilities aiming to position Makueni as a premier tourism destination.

The circuit’s goal was to promote interconnected tourism by linking various attractions, activities and services within the county. This initiative provided tourism operators with the opportunity to explore multiple locations, supporting sustainable tourism practices. Dr. Sonia highlighted the program as a key marketing strategy to showcase Makueni’s beautiful landscapes and facilities, boosting the county’s tourism appeal.

Accompanied by Chief Officer Dr. Jossylyn Nzilani, participants visited numerous facilities including Alem Hotel, Tawa Country Lodge, The Base Hotel and Kyeni Kya Kitoo pottery cottage in Mbooni. The team also toured Kusyombunguo Hotels, Paraiso, Kilimani Fort in Wote, Jambo Afrika, Kijiji, Emali Handicraft, Hunters Lodge, Kambua and Patton Homes in Kibwezi West.

Speaking at the Akamba Cultural Center, the Chief Officer emphasized the department’s commitment to preserving the Kamba culture as a tourist attraction contributing to economic growth. 

The circuit also included a nature trail in Kivale Forest and a visit to Chyullu National Park where participants enjoyed stunning views of the landscape. 

In the final leg of the tour, the team visited Tsavo West National Park exploring the famous volcanic Shetani lava and Chaimu hills and experienced the magical Mzima Springs. They were also treated to an ethnological tale of the Angulya People; a native Kamba sub-ethnic tribe indigenous to Chyullu Hills and Tsavo Park.

The Makueni Tourism Circuit aims to market the county as a prime tourist destination and provide a detailed route for travelers, enhancing Makueni’s visibility on the tourism map.

Saving Lives Through Technology.

Proximie Global health leadership led by Dr. Shannon Shibata-Germanos, Head of Global Health Proximie, and the Safaricom team were on Thursday hosted by Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr and the Makueni health team.
Proximie Global Health together with Jhpiego has partnered with the county government in providing healthcare services by integrating Proximie technology using live video feeds into Jhpiego’s evidence-based obstetric safe surgery (OSS) programme for greater mentorship and training.
According to Dr. Shibata-Germanos, Videos that surgical teams choose to record using the software are housed in the secure online Proximie library for future viewing.
This network has been used to connect 5 hospitals: Mother and Child, Makindu, Sultan Hamud, Mbooni, and Kibwezi hospitals in leveraging the software to enhance quality improvement and mentorship within the successful JHPIEGO led safe obstetric surgical training program.
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr noted that the technology will improve the obstetric surgical care for women in the county and will as well support his commitment to provide all women with dignity in childbirth and reduce maternal and newborn deaths and obstetric-related complications. Proximie and Safaricom are now exploring partnerships with the county to look towards the further scale of the programme across the whole county through enhanced connectivity towards UHC goals.

SAME-DAY BIRTH CERTIFICATE ISSUANCE MARKS MILESTONE AT KIBWEZI HUDUMA MASHINANI OUTREACH

The Huduma Mashinani outreach programme on Friday recorded a significant milestone in Kibwezi Town, where 1,425 residents were served, with many leaving the venue with their birth certificates issued the same day. The exercise also attracted a large number of young people seeking national IDs and voter registration services, highlighting growing youth participation in civic processes.

The same-day processing of birth certificates marked the first for the Huduma Mashinani programme, made possible through the dedication of the Kibwezi Office of Births and Deaths, which ensured efficient service delivery throughout the day. Residents expressed satisfaction with the convenience of accessing multiple government services under one roof.

County Executive Committee Member for Gender, Children, Youth, Sports and Social Services, Eng. Sebastian Kyoni, reaffirmed the County Government’s commitment to taking Huduma Mashinani services to every ward to ensure no resident is left behind.

SAFEGUARDING LIVESTOCK: VETERINARY DIRECTORATE WRAPS UP SUCCESSFUL VACCINATION DRIVE

The County Government of Makueni, through the Veterinary Directorate, has successfully concluded the annual mass livestock vaccination exercise that began in June 2025.

During the exercise, a total of 199,223 animals from 33,566 households were vaccinated across 602 sites in the county.

The targeted diseases included Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), which causes fever and foot and mouth blisters in cattle; Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), known for painful skin nodules in cattle; and Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP), a deadly respiratory infection in goats.

The vaccination exercise saw 71,692 animals protected against LSD, 29,342 against FMD, 92,532 against CCPP and 937 vaccinated against Rabies,

This program underscores the county’s commitment to safeguarding farmers’ livelihoods by preventing disease outbreaks, improving animal health and boosting livestock productivity across Makueni.

SAFE RIDES FOR ALL: MAKUENI BEGINS CONVERSATIONS WITH FLONE INITIATIVE TO REVOLUTIONIZE PUBLIC TRANSPORT 

Flone Initiative, a Non-Governmental Organization specializing in creating safe spaces in public transport, is seeking to collaborate with the County Government of Makueni to address challenges affecting vulnerable groups in the public transport sector. 

This follows a baseline survey conducted earlier this year, which identified critical gaps and proposed key recommendations.

Receiving the survey findings, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. expressed confidence that targeted interventions would address systemic challenges, improve safety and accessibility, and establish a public transport system that champions equity and inclusivity for all residents.

SACCOs AND FARMER GROUPS TRAINED ON AUTOMATION TO IMPROVE SERVICES.

A total of 22 SACCOs and 13 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) in Makueni have completed a two-day training on automation and digital record-keeping. The training, completed on Friday, was organized by the Department of Agriculture and facilitated by AMTECH with support from the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP).

The training aimed to equip Executive Committee members and bookkeepers with the skills needed to manage financial and member records using a new automated system. Through this system, SACCOs and FPOs will improve the accuracy, efficiency, and transparency of their operations.

Bookkeepers were trained on how to enter data, manage transactions, and keep member records updated using the digital platform.

While addressing the forum, Chief Officer for Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative Development, Japheth Kiminza, encouraged the bookkeepers to understand the value of automation and their role in overseeing its implementation.

The new system focuses on key operations such as: registering members, tracking contributions and managing shares, processing loan applications, digitizing past records and moving to the new system.

This initiative is expected to strengthen transparency, improve services, and make management easier for both SACCOs and FPOs.

RUTO LAUNCHES GREENTECH HUB IN KONZA TECHNOPOLIS.

President William Ruto on Friday inaugurated the Timbuktoo GreenTech Hub in Konza Technopolis, Makueni County in an event attended by Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr., government officials, entrepreneurs, academia, policymakers and business leaders.

President Ruto said the government had launched a digital infrastructure project to construct a 100 km fibre optic super highway to connect 74,000 public institutions to the internet.

Phase two of the project will deliver internet services to 8.5 million homes and businesses.

Governor Kilonzo thanked the national government and partners for initiating the project in Konza. Terming it a dream come true, the Governor requested the Government to consider reducing taxes on green energy components.

The hub will encourage green and digital transitions in agriculture, ICT and energy sectors.

It is powered by Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and Cloud Computing and it is intended to assist Kenya’s micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, which are the heart of the country’s economy.

The hub, an initiative under the UNDP Timbuktoo Project, also aims at transforming the country into a globally competitive, knowledge-based economy driven by innovation.