Makueni to hold agriculture fair to expose farmers to new technologies
Makueni County through the Department of Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives Development is set to host the first-ever Famers Exchange and Expo at ATC Kwa-Kathoka from 2nd to 3rd March, 2023
The exhibition will provide a platform for farmers to learn from each other, especially on new technologies, and display their produce, equipment and technologies to potential clients who will be attending the agriculture fair.
Makueni County is in the process of establishing the Makueni Education Fund, a kitty to cater for increasing cases of bright and needy students in the county annually, Education and Youth Executive Committee Member Joshua Wambua has said.
Wambua said that the County Government of Makueni has continued to receive an increasing number of applicants for both bursaries and scholarships each year adding that the County budget cannot sustain the applications.
“We are in the process of establishing a larger kitty, the Makueni Education Fund in order to address the increasing cases of bright and needy children. Our County Budget cannot sustain these cases thus the reason for this noble course,” the ECM said.
He was speaking in Mombasa on Thursday where county officials led by Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau met secondary school head teachers during this year’s Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association conference for Makueni chapter at the Nyali Sun African Beach Hotel.
County officials led by Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau meeting secondary school head teachers during this year’s KeSSHA conference for Makueni Chapter at the Nyali Sun African Beach Hotel
According to Wambua, the overall aim of the fund will be to mobilize financial resources and provide financial assistance to Makueni bright and needy students in their pursuit of higher education, allocate funds and grants for seminars and Conferences and research and other related educational purposes.
He further observed that though constitutionally primary, secondary and university education are not devolved, the County Government cannot escape from supporting them due to their proximity and presence where the people are.
Adelina Mwau stated that the fund was a step to increase Makueni share in supporting transition and retention in schools through supporting as many needy and bright students as possible thus increasing their chances to better their future.
KESSHA Makueni Chapter chairman Julius Mutwii who was the host and also the leader of a team handling the fund details termed it as a noble idea that will keep hope alive for the children. He also assured the county government of their unwavering support to fully realise the initiative.
He said: “This is a very noble idea whose time has come because more of our students from needy backgrounds will have opportunities to pursue their academic dreams. We therefore as principals in Makueni fully support it.”
Makueni County Government will distribute certified planting seeds and relief food worth Sh 120M to its residents, H.E Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr has said.
He spoke at Kathonzweni on Thursday while flagging off emergency relief food together with County Commissioner Beverly Opwora and Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili.
Governor Mutula Jnr also noted that his administration is in the process of purchasing more relief food through its emergency kitty to supplement efforts by the national government to alleviate hunger.
Health facilities in Makueni will soon be able to receive essential and emergency medical supplies through aerospace, thanks to a partnership between the county government of Makueni and NARMA INCL. a Korean aerospace research institute that develops state of art delivery drones and services.
Deputy governor H.E Lucy Mulili, ECM Paul Musila (Health), Chief Officers; Stephen Ndolo (Health) and Japheth Kiminza (Environment, natural resources, mining and climate change) hosted officials from the company on Wednesday where they talked on a myriad areas of collaboration.
Eng. Suho Jung, the projects manager noted that the partnership seeks to improve on the timelines of delivering medical supplies especially those listed as emergency drugs such as anti – venom vaccines, anti – rabbis, blood among others via drone services.
The officials from NARMA INCL. are in Makueni for a recceing visit and to acquint themselves with the county’s topography before flying drones in the county.
Dr.Stan Kivai,chair Makueni Climate Change Fund Board said that they engaged the Korea International Corporation Agency (KOICA) through their resource mobilization aspect to bring the services to Makueni adding that the drones would considerably reduce the energy consumption.
Dr.Kivai was accompanied by Angeline Katunga, a member of the Climate Change Fund Board.
Women living with fistula, a condition where women leak urine and stool are expected to receive free surgery and medical care services at the Makueni Mother and Child Hospital.
According to Dr. Doris Mbithi, a fistula expert based in Makueni, this will be the first time the county is offering such services. At least, nine county medical staff were trained at the gyno care fistula center in Eldoret to help with the operations.
Makueni’s Dr. Mbithi will be the lead surgeon.
Officiating the launch of the obstetric fistula treatment centre on Monday, Deputy Governor H.E Lucy Mulili urged the afflicted women to come out in large numbers for free treatment.
Mulili said she will be at the forefront of ensuring that women don’t live with incontinence and shame that comes with Obstetric Fistula.
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Champions Pathway Academy (CPA) and United States-based Angels at Bat to establish a world-class sports academy in Makueni. The facility will feature modern training infrastructure, aiming to nurture local talent and position the county as a regional and global sports hub.
Governor Mutula described the partnership as one that goes beyond sports, saying it is about equipping youth with leadership, education, and life skills. The initiative will offer professional coaching, international exposure, and mentorship.
CPA Chief Executive Officer Albert Munane emphasized the importance of investing in sports as a tool for discipline, while Angels at Bat’s Justus Musia noted the cultural exchange potential of the partnership.
Sports Executive Committee Member Eng. Sebastian Kyoni, Chief Officer Nicholis Mutua, sports director Ambrose Kisoi and senior sports officer Charles Muthoka attended the signing ceremony held at the governor’s office in Wote, Tuesday.
Deputy governor H.E Lucy Mulili on Friday received a delegation in her office from the Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement program (KISIP) in a move to plan a roadmap to improve informal settlements within Makueni’s towns.
According to Dr. Peris Mang’ira, KISIP national coordinator, before embarking on an improvement project of the informal settlements, they will first conduct project planning and do a survey as well as aerial drone photography.
The project comes after Mjini village (Kibwezi town), Misongeni (Makindu town), and Soko-Mjinga in Emali town qualified for tenure regularization intervention under the project.
Makueni is among the counties funded by the World Bank through the state department of housing to improve their informal settlements.
The Deputy Governor noted that mushrooming of informal settlements is a hindrance to getting accurate boundaries and buffer zoning as well as land management, welcoming the KISIP team to partner with the county in the entire process.
On the 8th December 2022 Makueni Tech and Innovation hub a project by the County Government, was awarded the National Innovation Award in the category county government innovation hub of the year for the initiative to directly support innovators.
Makueni Tech and Innovation Hub aims to provide an open space for entrepreneurs and programmers to access. It also runs periodical innovation challenges tied closely with addressing local and global challenges. The hub has reached over 1000 through its initiatives geared toward building skills through and not limited to small scale manufacturing.
Some of the initiatives the hub has run in collaboration with its partners include:
Running of two Innovation challenges that have allowed cross learning with the innovation hubs beyond the county thus serving as a platform for county youth to think solutions for local problems and promotion of technology based ideas
Providing mentorship and training by reaching the unreached through two editions of the Kids tech bootcamps and Developers bootcamp with focus on encouraging women and young girls from highschools
Hosted the health innovation fair that would support the department of health realize solutions geared to prioritise and address its needs
Ran and hosted the regional innovation week a first for the region
Upskilling in small scale manufacturing through Emerging tech-3D printing, NoCode
Fostering an entrepreneurial spirit amongst youth in areas of business through Peperusha Maisha and in collaboration with local member hub for supporting women and enabling them digitally.
Support with funding to the top 10 awardees from the two innovation challenges
Sensitized the community on the start up bill
Working with Eco-system stakeholders to support the community such us Konza Technopolis, Communications Authority, University of Central Missouri, Association of Countrywide Innovation Hubs, IBM, Cisco, Google, Insight Health Advisors, KIPI and YASA
The Department of Health Services in Makueni County collaborated with stakeholders in a workshop on Monday for the Development and Delivery of Biofortified Crops at Scale (DDBIO) project.
The initiative, jointly convened by the International Potato Center (CIP), World Food Programme (WFP), and Makueni’s health and agriculture dockets, aims to address maternal and child nutrition outcomes.
Implemented in Makueni, Tana River, and Garissa, the program focuses on improving nutrition through various interventions, including the distribution of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) vines to agro-pastoral households, aiming to alleviate maternal and child undernutrition.
Dr. Mwatha, the Ag. Director for Health Services, emphasized the importance of a multi-faceted approach to nutrition and the necessary interventions during the workshop.
Attendees included Chalmers Mulwa, a Social Scientist, Dorcas Amunga, a Nutritionist, Leonard Kirui, a Senior Manager, Lucy Mwaura, a Food Scientist, and others from the International Potato Center.
Makueni targets to plant 200,000 seedlings and scatter 1 Million seed balls for wild tending; Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr has said.
On Saturday, the governor flagged by environment champions from Mbooni planted over 20,000 seedlings.
Environment and Gender Executives Dr. Sonia Nzilani and Nicholas Masila respectively led another group in Kibwezi- East in tree planting to combat the climate crisis and restore biodiversity.
