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3,500 Delegates Visit Makueni Exhibition Booth at the Kakamega Devolution Bazaar

The Makueni county exhibition tent at the Kakamega devolution conference was a major attraction throughout the devolution bazaar as delegates and other exhibitors took time out to admire some of the products on show.

About 3,500 delegates signed in at the  county exhibition booth to view exciting documentaries on development and infrastructural progress achieved so far.

The county has been admired by many due to progressive implementation of major development projects.

The mention of Governor Prof Kivutha Kibwana’s name during the conference was always received with massive applause forcing him to always stand and wave to the delegates to acknowledge their good reception.

Many delegates scrambled to greet the governor every time he walked out of the conference venue with hundreds demanding for selfies with Prof Kibwana who has become a devolution superstar.

Yesterday the county deputy health promotion officer Bretta Mutisya who was leading the county exhibitors said the visits to the booth were massive with many coming to watch the documentaries while others sampled some of the products on display.

“We have interacted with so many guests during this conference. My colleagues who came with products have sold them out. People have picked handbooks from here to familiarize with our development story,” said Ms Mutisya.

Some of the products on show included mango jam, juice, makueni fresh milk, various branded original honey and several booklets detailing development projects by the county.

Several governors and top executives attending the conference also passed by the booth to witness the various development projects being showcased.

Many were interested in the mango juice following the story of Makueni Fruit Processing factory while others asked questions on how the county managed an elaborate universal healthcare system with the scanty resources allocated.

On Tuesday,  Makueni became the talk of the conference after President Uhuru Kenyatta made several references to Governor Kivutha Kibwana acknowledging the initiatives implemented under his government.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga also echoed the president’s sentiments when he addressed the conference on Wednesday.

27,000 Farmers Benefit from Planting Seeds from Makueni County Government

Over 27,000 farmers from Makueni have benefitted from certified seeds distributed by the County Government of Makueni for planting during the October-December rain season 2023.Beneficiaries were drawn from 11 wards that had prioritized planting seeds during the budgeting process for the 2023/24 financial year.

The Wards include Thange, Ivingoni -Nzambani, Mtito -Andei, Makindu,Nguumo, Kasikeu, Mbitini, Muvau -Kikumini, Kako- Waia, Kalawa and Mbooni.The initiative received a boost from the Kenya Red Cross Society which donated seeds to vulnerable households in Kibwezi –East Sub-county.

The Seed varieties distributed were Green grams, Maize, Beans, Cowpeas and assorted fodder and pasture seeds. With onset of the rains, Agriculture Executive Joyce Mutua has called on farmers to plant different seed varieties in order to achieve food security at the household levels.

Development Partnerships

The government of Makueni and Red Cross Society of Kenya have signed a 5-year MoU to establish a collaborative framework for Joint development implementation. Areas of cooperation according to the MoU include:

  • Enhanced accessibility to water and improved sanitation.
  • Improved health, hygiene and nutrition.
  • Improved food security and livelihoods.
  • Joint capacity building.
  • Improved community resilience to disasters and climate change.
  • Strengthened disaster mitigation, preparedness and response.

Makueni county government and Red Cross will jointly fundraise to raise resources for the successful implementation of agreed specific projects. The overarching goal is to enable the county government learn from best practices and tap the experience of Red Cross for fast development implementation.

The MoU was signed by Governor Kivutha Kibwana and KRCS Secretary General  Abbas Gullet at KRCS headquarters in Nairobi.

2023 Makueni County Fiscal Strategy Paper

The 2023 Makueni County Fiscal Strategy Paper is the first to implement the CIDP 111 2023-2027 which is being finalised. The 2023 CFSP is prepared pursuant to Public Finance Management Act, 2012 (PFMA) Section 117 and outlines the development framework for the FY 2023/24-FY 2025/26 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) Period. The CFSP outlines the strategic priorities, programmes and development agenda for FY 2023/24. 

The FY 2023/24 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework will be guided by the development philosophy of Wauni wa Kwika Nesa na Ulungalu” – the desire to do good with integrity. With a rallying call for “Our people, our Priority”. The development theme for the Financial Year will be ‘enhancing efficiency for economic growth and community resilience’ and will be guided by the following principles;  infrastructure development for rural and urban areas to improve access to roads, water and sanitation;  strengthening cooperatives as vehicle for rural transformation;  improving access to universal health coverage; building strategic partnerships for enhanced resource mobilization; automation of government services;  youth empowerment and innovation; strengthening public finance management and  public sector transformation for performance oriented results and decentralized government services.

The FY 2023/24 revenues are projected to increase to Kshs 10,191,980,170.00 from Kshs 9,832,783,562.00 in FY 2022/23 representing a growth of 4 per cent.  The budget will be funded from three main sources namely equitable share – 81.8 percent, Conditional Allocations, loans and Grants – 8.3 percent and Own Source Revenue at 9.8 percent. The government is committed to enhance its resource mobilization strategies by building strategic partnerships for development to ensure delivery of the envisaged development outcomes in the medium term.

The recurrent expenditure for the FY 2023/24 is projected to be Kshs 6,866,046,086.87 an increase of 3 per cent from Kshs 6,660,769,154.00 in the printed estimates for FY 2022/23. The Development Expenditure is estimated to be Kshs 3,325,934,083.13 representing 32% of the total County Budget.

To deliver the envisaged results, all Accounting Officers are encouraged to strengthen their service delivery mechanisms to ensure the services are responsive to the needs of the citizenry. Each department will also be expected to put in place mechanisms to ensure full decentralization to the sub counties and wards. Additionally Departments and entities should embrace automation for efficiency in service delivery.

 

DAMARIS MUMO KAVOI

COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER – FINANCE, PLANNING, BUDGET AND REVENUE

2023 Makueni County Debt Management Strategy Paper

The 2023 Medium Term Debt Strategy Paper is prepared in accordance with Section 123 of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012. It is the first to implement the third generation CIDP 2023-2027 and is prepared annually on a three year rolling basis covering a period of three years 2023/24 – 2025/26. 

 

The debt strategy paper guides on debt management practices of the county government which includes the issuance process, management of the debt portfolio, and adherence to various laws and regulations governing debt contracting and management.  It guides the county on the amount, type of borrowing to undertake over the medium term and evaluates the costs and risks of various scenarios and recommends an optimal strategy for implementation. The strategy ensures fiscal prudence in management of county resources to ensure debt is sustainable and is met at the lowest possible cost and with a prudent degree of risk while ensuring that the overall level of public debt is sustainable.

 

In the medium term, the county will enhance the resource mobilization strategies both internally and externally to fund the development programmes and priorities envisaged in CIDP III. To fund the government priorities in the medium term, the county will seek strategic partnerships to meet the fiscal gap in the implementation of the CIDP and strategic intervention. Key strategy is mobilizing additional resources above the national government transfers and the county own revenue mobilization. Additionally, the government will continuously manage its cash flow through short term lending from commercial banks to offset delays in equitable share disbursements and own source revenue mobilization.

 

The Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy is consistent with the broad strategic priorities and policy goals set out in the County Fiscal Strategy Paper (CFSP), 2023. The strategies are set on the background of recovery from post COVID-19 pandemic and in the advent of new county administration.

Governor Mutula receives Wote diocese new bishop ahead of Saturday installation ceremony

The journey to the installation of Bishop Paul Kariuki Njiru, the bishop designated for the newly created Diocese of Wote started in earnest on Friday in a special ceremony at Kola Catholic Church grounds, on the border of Machakos and Makueni Counties.
The bishop was handed over from the Diocese of Machakos by Bishop Norman King’oo accompanied by Francis Mwangangi (Deputy Governor) to Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. at Kola Township which bestrides Machakos and Makueni counties.
Addressing hundreds of Catholic members, Governor Mutula said history had been made adding that the new bishop stands a better chance of bringing together the greater eastern communities.
The installation of Bishop Kariuki tomorrow follows the creation of the Diocese of Wote which Pope Francis announced in July.
Other leaders who attended the ceremony include Terry Mbaika (PS Devolution), Francis Mwangangi (Machakos Deputy Governor), Susan Kiamba (Makueni MP), Doughlas Mbilu (Makueni speaker), Andrew Mulwa (CEO KEMSA), Fred Muteti (Chair Special Economic Zones), among others.

2000 Ukia Farmers Adopt Hass Avocado as their New Green Gold.

Over 2000 farmers drawn from Ukia ward in Kaiti Sub-County are beneficiaries of graft avocado scions  (Hass variety), courtesy of the Department of Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative Development, Makueni County.
The initiative, a product of public participation, is geared towards supporting the farmers to increase productivity and profitability in the avocado value chain. The program also aims to enhance market access and business linkages to the farmers.
The Hass avocado is a new variety that has been scientifically modified through grafting to significantly reduce its maturity period to between 2.5 years and 3 years from the typical period of 6 to 7 years.
According to Agriculture Chief Officer Daniel Ndolo, Hass Avocado is the new goldmine for modern farmers and urged farmers to plant more avocadoes.
 
This is because Hass-avocado does not require much labor and time to maintain. In addition, the demand for avocados is extremely high and can’t satisfy the current local demand and in the European countries.
 
Ndolo spoke on Tuesday at Kilala Chief’s Office where he launched the scions distribution exercise and handed over the scions to 15 grafters, who have been trained and will offer the grafting services to the earmarked farmers.
The County has so far distributed close to 60,000 improved Hass variety seedlings to farmers in the avocado growing areas and is at the forefront to transform the avocado value chain into a robust economic enterprise to impact positively on the livelihoods of the community.

200 FARMERS BENEFIT FROM A DAIRY TRAINING TO ENHANCE MILK PRODUCTION

Over 200 farmers on Wednesday were trained on dairy farming techniques at the Makueni Agricultural Training Centre.

The event was graced by Joyce Mutua, who serves as the CECM for the Department of Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative development.

The training was organized in conjunction with Unga Farm Care and Remington to provide better ways to enhance milk production through improved dairy feeds and collective improvement in dairy farming practices. This is expected to lead to a significant increase in dairy production.

The participating farmers came from four dairy member cooperatives within the Lower Eastern Dairy Cooperative Alliance (LEDCA), namely Kaiti, Kilala, Wote and Kathonzweni.

Mutua commended the farmers for their eagerness to attend such training sessions and emphasized that the county government is committed towards revamping dairy production through initiatives such as Kikima and Kathonzweni milk processing plants.