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Day: July 14, 2017

Water Agenda

The provision of water to our people continues to be the single most important challenge and opportunity for developing and transforming our communities. It is three years now since we launched the ‘Kutwiikanya Kiwu’ programme as a strategy for enhancing community and household water harvesting in our County.
At the community level we have enhanced water storage infrastructure through construction of 98 earth dams and 45 sand dams and weirs while at the household and institutional levels we have promoted roof catchment as well as drilling of boreholes and extension of water pipeline networks.
Currently, 19 more sand dams are under construction. We have drilled 87 boreholes and equipped 39 others. 9 more boreholes are currently being drilled. Out of these, 24 boreholes have been drilled using the drilling rig that we recently acquired. It is our priority to distribute the water in all our boreholes since we have the resources in the 2017/2018 budget.
Our people are now carrying out irrigation farming using the water from the earth dams and sand dams. Some earth dams are also stocked with fish.
300 women groups have benefited from water tanks through the ‘Nzangule ya Matangi’ programme. 300 more groups are set to benefit from water tanks. This programme is promoting water accessibility and micro-irrigation initiatives in the County. The Department of Youth, Gender, Sports and Social Services has also distributed water tanks to youth and women groups while the Department of Education and ICT has distributed water tanks to primary schools and the Department of Health Services to health facilities.
The County still remains water deficient even with these interventions. This explains our decision to allocate 1 Billion Kenya Shillings for water projects in the 2017/2018 financial year. We are partnering with the South Eastern Kenya University (SEKU) in mapping our water resources especially the location of sand dams and earth dams. A separate research on the capacity of our boreholes is currently being undertaken. This will lead to the development of a water policy and master plan.

Makueni Agricultural Show

Government of Makueni for the first time on 16th and 17th June, 2017 held ground breaking Agricultural and Trade affair at Makindu show ground an event which was opened by HE Pro. Kivutha Kibwana aimed at letting people of Makueni County be in the know and bringing general education to the footsteps of the community.

The Department of Water, Irrigation and & Environment actively participated by engaging their valued stakeholders in Environment and Natural resource Conservation and management rich Makueni county by exhibiting on successes and innovative technologies able to propel their community to achieve sustainable natural resource conservation and management as well as foster co-existence of human and wildlife in their biodiversity.
Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forest service, Kenya Forestry Research Institute and Anglican Development Services Eastern were some of the stakeholders which were invited by Assistant Director, Environment via a letter dated 12thJune, 2017. The Directorate of Environment had the opportunity to show to the community all that they have done through a documentary that was done by the directorate among many things.
The event which took two days of entertainment and education from the Department of W.I & E and Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forest service, Kenya Forestry Research Institute and Anglican Development Services Eastern since were some of the stakeholders which were invited by Assistant Director, Environment via a letter dated 12th June, 2017.
Prepared by Claudia Katheu.

Tree Growing and Conservation Awards

The grand award of celebrating the Kenyan Heroes in Tree Growing and Conservation 2017 was a premier event organized by Kenya Forest Service at the Headquarters of Karura Forest being officiated by Her Excellency Margret Kenyatta.

Fifty-nine conservationists and tree growers among them the County Government of Makueni were recognized for the effort and determination of making the Kenyan Forest cover rise to 7.4per cent from 6.9per cent in 2010. The objective of the initiative is to turn the forest cover from 7.4percent to 10per cent as per the Vision 2030.

The awardees were drawn from the 47 counties since 514 members had applied. They all went through a panel. Evaluation was done from the headquarters depending on the three ecological zones and amount of rainfall each area receives.

Awardees who included individuals, schools, cooperates, groups of disabilities, community, farmers, state agencies and counties received medals and certificates.

Her Excellency first lady congratulated the awardees citing the huge benefits and the various roles that forests play all over the world and playing a key role to balance nature.

The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources Pro. Judi Wakhugu said the 70per cent of Kenyans who depend on fuel exerts pressure on our forests.

The minister of Water Irrigation and Environment, Makueni County Mr. Douglas Mbilu accompanied his team to celebrate and receive the award of the life-size achievement for the Directorate of Environment.

 

Mr. Mbilu interacted with Pro. Judi Wakhugu, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Natural Recourses with whom they shared different tactics in their field of work bearing in mind they both head the department of Environment in County and National Government respectively.

Speaking on phone to the local radio stations Mr. Mbilu was overwhelmed for the achievement they have got so far as a directorate and urged the residents of Makueni County to conserve the environment and protect the reafforesteted hills.

 

Report by: Claudia Katheu.