President William Ruto, flanked by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr on Monday led hundreds of Makueni residents in planting 100,000 tree seedlings at Kiu Wetland, Makindu Ward, during the #NationalTreeGrowingDay
This exercise is geared towards landscape and ecosystems restoration where 15 billion trees will be grown in the next decade. Makueni targets to grow 344 million trees by the year 2032.
School-going children from 115 schools in Makueni are set to benefit from a feeding program, courtesy of the National Government.
The relief food, which comprises 280 bags of rice and 126 bags of beans targets primary schools in Kibwezi East and West, Mbooni, and Kilome constituencies which are most vulnerable.
The food is distributed by the county government and will act as an incentive for families to enroll and keep children in school
Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos.
Makueni Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau yesterday visited a 25-year-old woman whose tongue was nearly cut by unknown people at Makindu level 4 hospital.
Grace Mwikali narrated her ordeal to the DG, noting that she went into a comma after the attack only to wake up several hours later outside Tumaini bar with her tongue daggling outside her mouth.
She said that she had walked into the Tumaini pub in Makindu for a drink when the incident happened.
Ms Mwikali told the DG that she was attacked after relocating to an adjacent bar where she had been joined by two other friends.
“What followed after is still a misery to me because I cannot remember anything but I can recall holding up my tongue from falling with blood oozing from my mouth at wee hours,” She said.
She explained to Mwau that friends who have visited her at the hospital have indicated that some suspects have been apprehended.
Ms Mwikali, the mother of two is said to have been picked by police officers on patrol and rushed to Makindu level 4 hospital where she has been receiving medication.
Mwau condemned the attack describing it as part of a sustained abuse against women and called on the police to apprehend all the attackers saying they had no right to abuse her.
“If they are found guilty let them be prosecuted and serve their punishment,” the DG said.
“As leaders we must initiate campaigns against alcoholism and create awareness, if we want Makueni to be a poverty free county,” she noted.
Mwau said that alcohol for women can be dangerous adding that they become more vulnerable for rape and attacks.
Dr. Khalid Kibwezi West sub-county medical officer of health said Ms Mwikali was brought to the hospital on May 25 by the police who picked her by the roadside.
“She wasn’t coherent on the first days but after her tongue stitched that is when she regained consciousness,”Dr.Khalid said.
Makueni deputy governor Adelina Mwau has warned gender based violence perpetrators in the county saying stern action will be taken against offenders to fight the vice.
Mwau spoke at Unoa grounds where she addressed a women conference convened to discuss gender mainstreaming, women’s financial stability and healthcare among others.
The county had partnered with Musyi FM a Nairobi based vernacular radio station to organise the event that brought together women from different spheres of life.
The deputy governor regretted that incidences of violence against women had become rampant in Makueni terming such acts unfortunate and barbaric.
‘’We are witnessing a lot of defilement and rape cases across the county. This is disheartening and no woman or child deserves to be violated,” Mwau noted.
She repeatedly quoted a recent case where a 77-year-old woman was raped by her 24-year-old grandson.
Mwau thanked police for moving with speed to apprehend the suspect and expressed hope the judiciary will be swift in dealing with the matter.
She urged women not to hide incidences of defilement and incest involving their husbands adding that it was hurting the battle to win justice for the victims.She urged the security apparatus to take action against those hiding such criminals.
‘’What are you still doing with a husband who defiles your daughter and impregnates them?,’’ She posed.
She continued, “ You deserve a legal action and no mercy should be shown to you. You are badly tormenting those young girls.’’
The County Executive Committee Member for gender Dr. Godfrey Makau noted that the community needed more sensitization on measures taken in case of rape or defilement, gender responsive budgeting tools as well as women gender agenda.
‘’Our people need more education on measures they should take incase such barbaric acts are committed against them; the county has done a lot but we still need to reach out to more people,” Dr Makau noted.
At the same time deputy governor announced that her office is keen on promoting women’s participation in leadership, decision making, advocacy as well as implementation of strategies geared towards empowering the woman.
She also said that the county has an already existing revolving fund that has been benefiting organized groups such as women, youth, men and PWDs since 2016.
‘’This interest free loan has achieved a lot so far in empowering these groups economically and soon we will introduce a Nzangule ya Matangi loan so that the county realizes its CIDP rain water harvesting plan’’ Mwau reported.
Makueni MP Daniel Maanzo appreciated the office of the deputy governor for championing the gender affairs, adding that Mwau has been on the forefront in the fight against gender based violence.
Makueni Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau on Wednesday lauded various donor organizations for supporting infrastructural development in Makueni schools when reached for support.
Mwau said many schools in the county have received support from donors to improve classrooms.
The DG was speaking when she visited Yikisemi primary school where she was joined by a US based organization, sponsoring the school.
The Osceola arts Youth Orchestra programme director Ms Rachael Nganga applauded the County Government of Makueni for putting up a school at Yikisemei, saying that it had been given a true facelift.
“I found children in grass thatched classrooms when I first visited this school in 2010, At that time I had little to offer but over time I learnt while in the US that the county government had given the school a facelift,”Rachael said.
Rachael stated that her organization is ready to help the school put up more classrooms at Yikisemei considering that the population has increased tremendously from the time she last visited.
“We wish to have a proposal from either the school or the county government, requesting for classrooms or dormitories so that we see where to chip in,” she said.
She said that they have already put up four classrooms at Kawelu primary school, few meters away from Yikisemei.
Mwau appreciated the donors and called on similar charity organizations to come out in large numbers and help the society.
She cautioned parents to be watchful to ensure the little children and growing girls were not attacked by rapists who were on rampage in the area.
“We as parents need to watch out on our kids, if their innocence is stolen at this tender age, life will never be the same again,” She said.
The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) today held a consultative meeting on possible areas of collaboration between Makueni County and the Commission.
The commission chairman Dr Joyce Mwikali who was accompanied by Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau said the two institutions would partner on a number of relevant areas.
The DG requested for technical support for the development of a guiding tool for SGBV and gender mainstreaming in public participation,development processes, budgeting and implementation that will eventually lead to the creation of a mainstreaming policy.
A memorandum of understanding will be developed and signed during the official commissioning of the Makueni Gender Based Violence Recovery Centre scheduled for October this year.
NGEC Commissioners Dr. Gumati, Florence, Nyokabi and the Ag. Chief Executive Officer Sora Katelo noted that Makueni is the first county to have initiated dialogue on gender and inclusion.
Executive Committee Member for Gender Culture and Social services Dr. Geoffrey Makau was also present.
