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MAKUENI COUNTY ENGAGES CITIZENS TO PRIORITIZE 2025-26 PROJECTS

Wote: August 13th 2024

Makueni County Treasury has kicked off public participation forums at the ward level to engage citizens in prioritizing projects and programs for implementation during the 2025-26 financial year. The forums aim to incorporate citizens’ views into the County Annual Development Plan (CADP) 2025-26, which will form the basis for the implementation of the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2023-27.

The meetings are scheduled to take place today in 15 wards, with the remaining wards to be engaged on Thursday. The County Committee Member for Finance and Socio-Economic Planning, Damaris Kavoi, officially opened the Wote ward forum at Wote Social Hall on Tuesday.

In her address, Kavoi highlighted a significant budget cut of Kshs. 430 million due to reduced allocation from the National Treasury. This reduction impacts planned projects and programs at the ward level. She assured County residents that the County Government is actively seeking solutions to address the deficit and ensure continued service delivery to residents.

The theme of the current Annual Development Plan is “Stimulating Local Economies for Shared Prosperity. “

MAKUENI COUNTY PARTNERS WITH STRATHMORE UNIVERSITY AND WRI FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

In a bid to foster sustainable energy development, Makueni County has joined forces with Strathmore University and WRI in an energy training collaboration. Spearheaded by the Housing and Energy Directorate, the collaborative workshop aimed at bolstering energy-saving initiatives across various government departments, marking a significant leap towards sustainable energy development.

The workshop convened teams from health, energy, agriculture, and water departments for an in-depth exploration of energy management strategies. Spearheaded by Housing and Energy Chief Officer Eng. Naomi Nthambi, the training emphasized the pivotal role of energy conservation in the county.

Eng. Nthambi shed light on the Makueni County Energy Plan and ongoing pilot projects geared towards enhancing energy efficiency. Participants delved into crucial topics such as Energy Management Regulations and Appliance Energy Performance during interactive discussions.

Expanding its reach, the workshop included a specialized session for Technical Working Group and Facility Managers, who actively delved into practical implementation strategies for energy management county-wide.

Key takeaways from facility managers highlighted the importance of finalizing the Energy Planning Process, establishing Facility-Level Energy Management Teams, and fostering communication and collaboration among teams. The discussion also stressed the significance of implementing mechanisms for Monitoring, Control, and Reporting, alongside regular policy reviews to adapt to evolving energy management practices.

Covering practical aspects including Energy Management Systems and Lighting Systems, this collaborative effort underscores Makueni County’s steadfast commitment to forging a sustainable future through informed energy practices.

MAKUENI COUNTY EMPOWERMENT FUND DIGITIZATION WINS PRAISE AT NATIONAL DEVOLUTION CONFERENCE

Makueni County’s digital transformation of the Makueni County Empowerment Fund (MCEF) procedures has been recognized as a pioneering achievement at this year’s Devolution Conference in Homa Bay, officially opened by President William Ruto on Wednesday.

The digitization, developed in partnership with Safaricom, aligns perfectly with the conference’s focus on leveraging technology to bridge socio-economic gaps.

The re-engineered MCEF platform will streamline access to startup capital for social enterprises and community groups.

The upgraded fund is set for official rollout next month, empowering more beneficiaries with timely, equitable support.

MAKUENI COUNTY DISABILITY POLICY DEVELOPMENT

The Department of Gender, Children, Youth, Sports, and Social Services on Wednesday held a stakeholders’ engagement forum to review the draft Makueni County Disability Policy.

The forum, supported by Women Challenged to Challenge and the United Disabled Persons of Kenya, aimed to address the needs and concerns of people living with disabilities in the county.

Key discussions focused on inclusivity, the welfare of persons with disabilities, and the protection of their rights, in a bid to improve outcomes for the disabled community.

Makueni County Crowned SDG Champion

Makueni County has once again been named Kenya’s best-performing county in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), winning the prestigious award for the sixth consecutive year. The accolade was presented to Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. by Florence Syevuo, Executive Director of the SDG Forum Kenya, on Wednesday during a ceremony at his Wote office.

The county’s success is anchored on innovative policies like the Makueni Universal Health Policy 2020 and Climate Change Fund Regulations 2015, addressing healthcare access, climate resilience, and social inclusion. By aligning SDGs with its County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2023-2027 and Annual Development Plans, Makueni ensures precise progress tracking and impactful implementation.

Institutional frameworks, including a dedicated SDGs Coordinating Unit and grassroots SDG champions, have bolstered coordination and community ownership. Creative outreach, such as translating SDGs into the Kamba dialect and the SDG anthem by the Makueni Choir, has deepened public awareness.

Another contributing factor is partnerships with organizations like the World Resources Institute and Strathmore University which have enhanced capacity-building and the integration of global sustainability practices. Robust data tools, including an SDG Indicator Handbook, have also supported evidence-based decision-making and accountability.

Lauding Makueni’s leadership, Syevuo noted, “Makueni has proven that sustainable development is achievable through visionary leadership and community involvement, setting a benchmark for others to follow.”

MAKUENI COUNTY CO-OPERATIVES DEVELOPMENT POLICY

The County has in this policy domesticated the cooperative legal framework to re-align it with County specific needs and circumstances of cooperative societies as a devolved function. The County Cooperative Policy embraces various strategies needed to make the County Cooperatives efficient, effective, and competitive.

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Makueni County Climate Change Fund Management Board unveiled

Members of the first County Climate Fund Management Board on Thursday took oath of office in a swearing in ceremony witnessed by Governor Kivutha Kibwana, his deputy Adelina Mwau and other senior county officials.

The board, whose main duty is to manage the climate change fund, will specifically approve the climate change budget, allocate resources, mainstream climate change projects, programs and activities in county planning and budgeting, and ensure their approval and inclusion in the County Integrated Development Plan. In addition, it will monitor disbursements, oversee budget execution, implementation and evaluation of climate programs and projects.

Governor Kibwana, while congratulating the members, asked them to be keen to implement the climate change regulations and policy that are already in place so as to help cushion the residents from the harsh effects of climate change.

Further, Kibwana urged the board to partner with the climate change committees based at the wards level to provide appropriate and robust climate change responses to specific needs.

The county government sets aside 2% of its annual development budget to the climate change fund. Other sources of funding include; moneys appropriated by the County Assembly; International Climate Finance (ICF) received directly or through the National Designated Authority and funds received from donors, stakeholders and supporters.

  • April 15, 2021 in News

Makueni county choir shines at peers’ major music jamboree

The Makueni county choir was crowned  overall winners in the 92nd edition of the Kenya Music and Cultural Festival held in Meru after making its first appearance at the national level.

The county choir, which had registered  in two categories for presentation took the lead with the song “Ain’t That Good News,” of class 435 Negro Spiritual category, beating other several county choirs competing in the class.

According to the gender, children, culture and social services executive member Dr Godfrey Makau who had accompanied the team during the festivals, it was a big surprise for the choir to emerge winners owing to the fact that it had just made its first entry for the competitions.

“Amazingly, the choir appeared for the first time at the national level during the 2018 Music and cultural festival and emerged overall winners. It was a big surprise to all of us!” Dr Makau exclaimed.

However, the win didn’t come easy, according to Pius Mutinda who is the vice- secretary, Eastern Regional Music Festival and one of the choir trainers, adding that the members sacrificed their time to perfect the items for the competition.

He said: “The group, as young as it is, was able to register a superb performance. However, they sacrificed their time to polish and compete favorably, which they did.”

The 92nd edition of the national festival, which ran from November 23 to 29, attracted over 30,000 participants from across the country.

The group, established in July this year has 42 members comprising of county staff and members of the public drawn from various wards across the county.

The county director alcoholic drinks control, Joseph Katumo who is also the second trainer said that the team was formed to among others nurture talents in arts, sensitize the public about the government programs, create awareness on social issues within and without the county and promote national and county cohesion through diverse cultural practices, sentiments which were echoed by Dr Makau.

The choir has since received several invitations to perform in various events, and was applauded by the Country First Lady Margaret Kenyatta for its awesome presentation when she graced the official commissioning of the county Mother and Child Hospital in Wote.

The county government is set to officially commission the choir during the county prayer and thanksgiving ceremony to be held on 31st this month, an event which will be graced by governor Kivutha Kibwana.