News

MAKUENI RECEIVES PEST CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES TO BOOST MANGO FARMING.

Makueni County on Wednesday received a donation of pest control technologies from the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KePHIS) aimed at helping small-scale mango farmers to effectively manage fruit fly infestations.

The donation includes 1,800 pheromone lures to eliminate Oriental fruit flies, 1,000 protein baits, 900 solarization bags, and 45 augmentorium pit covers to promote better farm sanitation.

These advanced pest control tools are designed to tackle the challenges of pests in mango farming, ensuring compliance with export market standards and improving the competitiveness and credibility of Makueni’s mango products. This initiative will help restore the confidence of international buyers in the county’s produce.

Agriculture CECM Joyce Mutua, who received the donation, was flanked by Japheth Kiminza, the Chief Officer for Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative Development.

Mutua expressed her appreciation to KePHIS, affirming that her department would ensure the technologies are distributed efficiently and used properly by farmers to maximize their impact.

MAKUENI RECEIVES 150 MEDICAL FLOWMETERS FROM PATH TO BOOST OXYGEN THERAPY

Makueni County has received 150 medical flowmeters from PATH, a move aimed at strengthening oxygen therapy services in local health facilities. The flowmeters will be distributed to the Makueni County Referral Hospital as well as Makindu, Sultan Hamud, and Mbooni sub-county hospitals.

According to the Health Services CECM Dr.Paul Musila, the devices are essential for delivering accurate oxygen therapy to patients, particularly in emergency situations.

Dr.Musila, noted that the need for reliable oxygen supply systems in county health facilities became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, the county has been working with partners to address existing gaps.

The donation supports Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr.’s broader commitment to strengthening health systems and achieving universal health coverage across the county.

MAKUENI READY TO ROAR IN THE 2024 KYISA GAMES.

Makueni is all set to defend her winning streak in this year’s edition of the Kenya Youth Inter-county Sports Association (KYISA) Games in Kilifi County.

The games will run from 14th to 21st April.

In last year’s edition held in Tharaka Nithi County, Makueni scooped wins in Football Girls, Basketball Men, runners up Basketball Girls, and top scorer football girls.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr on Friday commissioned the MKJ SUPA CUP County Finals to be played on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th April at Unoa Grounds Wote. Winners will represent the County in the KYISA Games.

Governor Mutula said his government will continue to invest in sports to make it a well-paying industry for the thousands of talented young people.

Makueni ready to host the country for the 7th Devolution Conference

Makueni governor Kivutha Kibwana on Friday hosted a high powered team from the Council of Governors, the senate and the national government who are in the county to assess its preparedness of Makueni County to host the seventh and the final annual devolution conference that is set to kick-off approximately in a month’s time.

Kisii governor James Ongwae who is the chairperson of the devolution conference planning committee, and led the team, noted that all delegates attending the conference will be vaccinated against Covid-19 before then, as one of the measures to prevent spreading of corona virus among the masses.

Kibwana assured the team that plans were on top gear to make sure that the 4-day conference will be a success adding that the county is working very closely with the Ministry of Health to ensure that all protocols will be observed to keep Covid-19 on check.

MAKUENI RANKED KENYA’S BEST-PERFORMING COUNTY IN FLLoCA PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

Makueni County has emerged as the best-performing county in Kenya in the implementation of the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) Program.

According to the Auditor General’s 2025/2026 Annual Performance Assessment Report, Makueni achieved a perfect score of 100 out of 100, underscoring the commitment of the administration led by Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. to fully comply with all requirements of the World Bank co-funded programme.

The county has implemented some of the most impactful FLLoCA projects in the water, agriculture, and environmental sectors, significantly improving livelihoods and enhancing climate resilience for thousands of residents across Makueni.

MAKUENI RAMPS UP WATER PROJECTS TO STABILIZE WOTE SUPPLY

The Makueni County Government has intensified upgrades to its water supply infrastructure in Wote and surrounding areas in a bid to stabilize distribution and ease persistent shortages.

Acting County Executive Committee Member for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Japheth Mang’oka led an inspection of key projects alongside WOWASCO Managing Director Urbanus Ndunda and other officials.

At the Kamunyolo Water Project, now 80 percent complete, capacity is being expanded from 300 to 500 cubic metres per day to boost supply to Wote. The Kwa Kitungu project will add 90 cubic metres per day through a solar-powered pumping system, targeting improved supply in areas including Kasarani and Kunda Kindu.

Meanwhile, emergency rehabilitation works at the Kaiti 1 Water Project are expected to increase daily supply hours from eight to 14.

County officials say the interventions will improve reliability of water access for households, businesses and institutions, as part of ongoing investment in sustainable water infrastructure.

MAKUENI RALLIES PARTNERS TO BOOST MATERNAL AND CHILD NUTRITION.

County Health Management Team has joined hands with agriculture department’s representatives in Wote for a two- day high-level co-creation forum aimed at charting a work plan for Helen Keller International (HKI)-supported nutrition programs.

The county is benefiting from a grant-funded consortium bringing together three global public health nonprofits, Helen Keller International, Vitamin Angels, and IDE with the shared mission of improving nutrition among underserved pregnant women, infants, and young children in Makueni.

According to the Helen Keller International team, the initiative seeks to transform lives by strengthening maternal and child health through proven nutrition interventions while reinforcing food and health systems.

The approach deliberately places women and children at the center of the county’s development agenda.

The consortium will focus on both nutrition-specific interventions such as vitamin A supplementation, deworming, breastfeeding promotion, infant and young child feeding, and screening and treatment of acute malnutrition as well as nutrition-sensitive strategies, which include boosting agricultural production, enhancing supply chains, supporting small market enterprises, and improving hygiene.

Through this partnership, Makueni hopes to create an enabling environment for scaling up multiple micronutrient supplements, increasing the number of mothers and children accessing iron and folate supplements, expanding exclusive breastfeeding coverage, and widening access to vitamin A supplementation and deworming.

The initiative also aims to ensure that households within the critical first 1,000 days of life have both physical and economic access to nutritious diets.

Speaking during the forum, Dr. Stephen Mwatha, Ag Director of Preventive and Promotive Health Services, acknowledged the county’s nutrition challenges but expressed optimism that the partnership would go a long way in addressing them.

MAKUENI RALLIES PARTNERS TO ACCELERATE MATERNAL AND NEWBORN HEALTH INITIATIVE

The Department of Health Services on Friday convened a Reproductive Health and Family Planning Technical Working Group meeting to develop a coordinated plan for accelerating the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere (EWENE) initiative across Makueni County.

The meeting brought together key development partners, including Jhpiego, the Kenya Red Cross, Jacaranda Health, Women Engaged in Development, Anita Mbinya Foundation, VSO, Makueni Development Trust and Vitamin Angels, to strengthen collaborative efforts aimed at reducing maternal and newborn deaths.

Participants agreed on several priority actions to guide implementation of the initiative. These include establishing an EWENE Steering Committee to oversee implementation, strengthening Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR), improving emergency obstetric care and referral systems, enhancing access to essential health commodities and blood products, and ensuring that mothers receive postpartum family planning counselling and services before being discharged from health facilities.

The agreed interventions are expected to enhance coordination among stakeholders and improve the quality of maternal and newborn healthcare services across the county.

MAKUENI RALLIES COMMUNITY TO RESTORE RIVER ECOSYSTEMS AHEAD OF WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

As the world prepares to mark World Environment Day tomorrow, the Makueni Sand Conservation and Utilization Authority on Thursday conducted a tree-planting exercise at Kiaoni along the Muuoni River in Nguu/Masumba Ward.

The initiative seeks to restore and protect the fragile riverine ecosystem, enhance water retention, and strengthen community resilience to the impacts of climate change.

The Authority has been at the forefront of efforts to rehabilitate rivers degraded by years of uncontrolled and unsustainable sand harvesting. Through restoration programs, environmental conservation initiatives, and community engagement, it continues to promote sustainable sand utilization while safeguarding vital water resources and ecosystems for future generations.

MAKUENI RALLIES BEHIND GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TO END POSTPARTUM HEMORRHAGE

Makueni County joined the rest of the world in commemorating World PPH Run Day, raising awareness about postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) — a leading cause of maternal deaths, responsible for nearly 50% of such fatalities globally.

Health professionals, local residents, and advocacy partners gathered in Wote for the awareness run under the global theme “Run for Her”, emphasizing the urgency of preventing PPH through early intervention and community education.

Leading the event, Martha Munyao, CEO of Makueni County Referral Hospital, called on expectant mothers to attend regular antenatal clinics and ensure hospital deliveries.

Munyao also praised the efforts of Jhpiego and other health partners for their pivotal role in combatting PPH, especially through the introduction of heat-stable carbetocin, a tablet proven to significantly reduce blood loss after childbirth and potentially eliminate PPH-related deaths.

Teresia Maweu, Reproductive Health Coordinator, encouraged the public to support the cause by donating blood, a life-saving resource in managing severe blood loss during and after delivery.