On Tuesday, Gender, Children, Youth, Sports and Social Services Executive Nicholas Nzioka held a meeting with Harriette Chiggai, President advisor on women rights with their discussions centered on standing up against Gender-Based Violence in the County.
Chiggai was elated by structures put in place such safe house, operational Policare among others.
Makueni County Government through the department of Trade, Marketing, Industry, Culture and Tourism under the leadership of Chief Officer Dr. Jossylyne Mutua participated in the Marketing Society of Kenya Marketers Conference on 26th & 27th October 2023 in Mombasa, an annual event that brought together marketing professionals, industry experts, and thought leaders to exchange knowledge, ideas, and insights on emerging trends and best practices in the field of marketing. In its 3rd Edition, the conference aimed to explore the theme “Harnessing disruptive innovation for marketing success” with a focus on how best to leverage disruptive innovation to drive successful marketing campaigns and achieve business growth. The conference covered a wide range of subjects, including customer centric marketing, data analytics, Mobile marketing, customer experience, digital marketing, and more. This conference came at a time that the Department of Trade, Marketing, Industry, Culture and Tourism is in the process of restructuring the county marketing unit to facilitate efficient delivery of their roles. The marketing officers had the opportunity to meet marketing experts that could help address some of organization’s biggest marketing challenges in the trade, production and hospitality sectors and effectively learned, connected and shared experiences with fellow marketers.
The Objectives of the MSK Marketers Conference
Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili on Thursday joined Wiper party leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka and other leaders at Kiongwani in Kilome Sub-county for the official unveiling of the Maria Salus Infirmorum Health Facility.
The facility has been established through the efforts of donors in Spain.
The facility will now join the network of county health facilities providing essential services to the people of Makueni.
The launch aligns with Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr’s commitment to strengthening universal health coverage and promoting medical tourism across the county.
Deputy Governor Mulili emphasized the importance of care networks that integrate private and public health services under the World Health Organization framework, noting significant improvements in the county’s health system.
She also acknowledged the development-oriented leadership of the Wiper party leader and extended her best wishes as he eyes the presidency in the upcoming general elections.
Also in attendance was the CECM in charge of Devolution Nickolas Nzioka, Chief Officers Health Services Dr.Harvey Mulei and Felistus Mutune Office of the Governor.
Mango farming in Makueni has grown into a profitable agribusiness, that has significantly improved the livelihoods of local farmers.
In an effort to boost its production and market access, the County Agriculture Department, in partnership with the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), on Thursday completed a three-day training at Makindu for 30 ward agricultural and extension officers.
The training, developed by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), focused on hands-on practical sessions and a farm visit, emphasizing on modern technologies and best practices to enhance mango farming.
Covering several areas to help improve mango production and value addition, the training introduced Participants to better production techniques, including grafting, pruning, irrigation and fertilization, to boost their yields.
The training also gave an insight on how to manage pests and diseases effectively with a major focus on market access and linkages, post-harvest handling and storage were emphasized to reduce losses and increase profitability.
Further, with respect to the prevailing regional climate, sustainable farming practices were introduced to promote climate resilience and environmental conservation measures with exposure to digital agriculture, where participants learnt the uses of ICT tools for farm management, marketing and accessing extension services.
Lastly, the importance of farmer groups and cooperatives was highlighted, encouraging collective marketing and improving access to financial services.
The trained officers will now pass on this knowledge to farmers in their respective wards, ensuring that mango farming continues to thrive in Makueni.
Mango farmers in Makueni are facing hurdles that threaten their harvests, especially during flowering and fruiting.
Flower and fruit abortion, blights, mildews and pests such as thrips, mites, mango weevil, mealybugs and fruit flies have been major setbacks.
On Wednesday, farmers in Mavindini ward attended a training session on how to manage these challenges.
Experts from Greenlife Company guided them on using fungicides with azoxystrobin and difenconazole to control blights and mildews, while pesticides with thiomexam and labdacyalothrin were recommended to fight off pests.
Additionally, to reduce flower and fruit abortion, farmers were urged to spray foliar fertilizers rich in Zinc and Boron. They were also encouraged to adopt irrigation methods to ensure their mangoes reach the market at the right time.
The session, attended by Livestock and Cooperative Development Chief Officer Japheth Kiminza, Mavindini MCA Jonathan Kimongo, Mango exporters and financial institutions, is a timely intervention during the mango flowering season.
The sensitization is expected to boost farmer knowledge and improve mango harvests across the county.
Makueni mango farmers’ representatives and buyers came together on Thursday to prepare for the upcoming mango marketing season. The meeting, organized by the county agriculture department aimed to establish clear purchasing guidelines for mangoes from local farmers.
During the discussions, buyers shared their planned purchase quantities and price ranges, offering between Ksh. 12 and 25 per kilogram of mangoes. The prices will vary, with local markets receiving the lowest rates and exporters providing the highest.
Attending the meeting, Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Cooperative Development CECM Joyce Mutua urged farmers to hold firm and avoid selling their mangoes at low prices. “Our department is dedicated to ensuring that farmers receive fair value for their hard work,” she emphasized.
She added, “This collaboration between farmers and buyers is expected to strengthen the mango industry in Makueni, benefiting all stakeholders involved.”
Ms. Mutua was accompanied by Chief Officers Japheth Kiminza and Dr. Victoria Kyalo.
On Friday, mango exporters visited Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. to discuss the progress of mango exports and explore opportunities for growth.
The visit comes after the previous launch of the Makueni County Mango Aggregation Centre, which helps local farmers by providing a central hub for collecting mangoes and linking them to exporters.
The meeting, attended by CECM for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Cooperative Development, Ms. Joyce Mutua, focused on strategies to expand Makueni mangoes’ reach in the global market.
The discussions focused on ways to collaborate in improving farmer education and expanding market access to help farmers secure better prices for their produce.
On Monday evening, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr in the company of county water officers toured two strategic water investment projects – Kamunyolo dam and Ndukuma, recently rehabilitated for spot inspection.
These projects signify Governor Mutula’s unwavering resolve to increase access to improved water sources from 46 percent to 70 percent (by 2027); and reduce the average distance to improved water sources from 3 km to 2 km.
On Ndukuma, the next phase will involve installation of a treatment plant, distribution, and fish stocking.
The Department of Water and Sanitation is urgently appealing for community assistance to address the rampant vandalism of water infrastructure, which has caused severe disruptions in water distribution across the county.
Since last year, water installations valued at Sh 45 million have been vandalized, with the vandals targeting solar panels, generators, G.I. pipes, water tanks, gate valves, air valves, and other critical components of water distribution systems. These acts of sabotage have left thousands of residents without reliable access to water.
On Tuesday, County Executive for Water, Eng. John Kieti, inspected the vandalized Kaangi borehole and Kamuthini water projects. The destruction of these facilities has plunged over 1,500 households into a water crisis, exacerbating the challenges faced by the community.
Kieti emphasized that, in addition to collaborating with the community to tackle this issue, the county government will henceforth implement stringent security measures. These include erecting razor-sharp fencing around key water source points, installing CCTV cameras for surveillance, and amending the Makueni Water Act to classify vandalism as an act of economic sabotage, with offenders facing severe penalties.
287 women and girls in Makueni are celebrating this year’s International Day to End Fistula with renewed energy and hope after successful corrective surgeries.
Mary Cosmus, who had endured this condition for 48 years, is one such woman. She was born with the condition and had endured a life of ridicule, neglect, and solitude, as no one wanted to associate with her.
The surgeries, conducted at the Mother and Child Hospital in Wote, are part of a joint campaign by the Makueni County Government and Jhpiego to end this preventable condition.
County First Lady Anita Mutula, who led Makueni residents in marking this day, reaffirmed her commitment to raise awareness about fistula and advocate for better reproductive, maternal, and child health to prevent incidences of fistula.
Acting County Executive Committee Member for Health Services Elizabeth Muli said 73 more cases are lined up for surgery while appreciating the tremendous support of partners towards this cause.
