Education

While addressing the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) members in their ongoing conference, the CECM ICT, Education and Internship has lauded them for the integral part they play in every child’s life and in shaping the nation at large.

Centering her message on Digital Learning, Ms Muli delved into the benefits of embracing technology in the school curriculum.

These include providing a platform for teachers to personalize instructions for each student needs, creating ease in tracking students learning progress via adaptive learning software and data analytics as parents experience greater visibility into their children’s
learning journey at the click of a button through accessing progress reports and
learning platforms.

The County Executive Committee Member added that digital learning is cost effective thus once embraced will reduce textbooks budgetary allocation as all learnning resources are available online. Therefore, education will be accessible to all at affordable rates and will expose learners to different cultures hence broadening their perspectives on education and life in general.

While speaking in the same forum, KESSHA chairman has expressed the union’s gratitude for the shared strategic partnership with the county government which ensured needy students received both bursaries and scholarships.

Present in the two day conference which closed this evening bringing 300 attendees on board was TSC officials and the County director in education.

Makueni has inked a partnership deal with Text Book Centre to supply 1,191 ECDE centres with essential books and stationery, ensuring that children have access to quality learning materials from an early age.

The initiative targets 40,000 learners across the county.

The deal was signed by Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr and Chetan Rughani, Director and COO of Text Book Centre in Wote on Friday.

County First Lady Anita Mutula has commissioned Makueni’s 308th ECDE class at Kwa Kyai Primary School in Kikumbulyu South Ward. Her Foundation [Anita Mbinya Foundation] has also donated 1,000 kiddie chairs and 125 tables to be distributed to other 30 ECDE centres across the county.

The donation is courtesy of a partnership with Lapfund and Moran Publishers as the First Lady strives to complement Makueni County Government’s development efforts through her network of partners.

While commissioning the Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) classroom today, H. E Anita Mutula has emphasized the need to have water harvesting facilities for every model ECDE class constructed.

CECM Education, ICT, and Internship confirmed that all ECDE classes have and will continue to boast customized infrastructure for the young learners’ needs and fulfill the governor’s promise that ECDE classes will be the best in each school they are put up.

The interns were placed in different county departments immediately after graduation to hone their skills and prepare for career progression.

Before their exit, the interns were on Thursday taken through a mentorship exercise including idea pitching, presentation skills, and mental health counselling.

County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for ICT,  Education, and Internship Elizabeth Muli presided over the event held at the Makueni Integrated Vocational Empowerment Center.

Present also was CECM Lands, CECM Trade the chief officer of Education, and the Internship and Mentorship directorate who shared words of wisdom with the hopeful professionals. 

The Plan serves as a comprehensive roadmap, highlighting the trajectory of Makueni County’s transformative endeavors, propelled by technology and education.

The plans has harmonized objectives of the government’s key policies, including Makueni Vision 2025 and the County Integrated Development Plan III 2023 – 2027.

This Plan outlines the docket’s Strategic Vision for Technology Advancement which seeks to intensify the county’s digital landscape and harness technology in the department mandate.

The Plan was unveiled by Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr during the award of ECDE caregivers Permanent and Pensionable confirmation letters in Wote, Monday.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr has walked the talk on improving the standard of Early Childhood Education in Makueni by confirming 358 teachers to Permanent and Pensionable terms.

The elated teachers were handed their confirmation letters by the Governor in Wote on Monday.

The 358 who were employed between 2014 and 2017 form the first cohort of conversion to permanent terms. A second batch will be confirmed by the start of the 2024/2025 Financial Year

This move comes in the wake of a spirited campaign by several education stakeholders to revert ECD Education to the National Government.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr has pledged an unwavering commitment to fostering a thriving education environment where teachers are valued partners in the transformative journey of learners.

In a bid to empower the ECDE teachers professionally, the Governor also flagged off ECDE Learning and Instructional Materials worth Kshs 9.8 Million to be distributed to 1,197 ECDE Learning Centers across the county.

100 bright and needy learners from Makueni who sat their KCPE in 2023 will join their secondary schools of choice on full scholarships sponsored by the County Government of Makueni.  

The 100 learners who report to school next week were awarded their first-year scholarship fee cheques by Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr at Wote Green Park Friday after a thorough vetting process.

Esther Kyalo who wrote her KCPE at Kiaoni Primary School (Kikumbulyu North) and scored 392 marks terms this scholarship as God-send. Her dreams of joining Moi Girls Eldoret appeared all but shattered before the scholarship opportunity knocked on her door. Her family had to sell a few chicken to offset debts at her former school before she could be cleared and obtain results.

Mutula pledged to leverage on his good working relationship with different development partners to mobilize for more funds so that every bright vulnerable child in Makueni may be able to get an education. He has also called on national legislators to enact laws that make universal education affordable and accessible to all and not a preserve of the wealthy.

At least 12,600 learners from needy backgrounds in  Makueni are now guaranteed uninterrupted learning through an 85 million investment by the County Government.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr on Friday led the distribution of bursary cheques to beneficiaries across the 30 wards, ensuring a seamless return to school next week.

Beneficiaries of the bursary scheme were identified through a rigorous vetting ensuring that only the most deserving students benefit from this program.

Additionally, the county government has released an extra 14 million through the Department of ICT, Education, and Internship for the 687 ongoing Scholarship students across the county, bringing it to a whopping 99M. 

This year’s form one bursary and scholarship applications close on 8th January 2024.

Hosted by the Deputy Governor and the line department of ICT, Education, and Internship, Hon. Eliud Owalo, launched a state-of-the-art digital lab equipped with 100 computers at the aforementioned County Technical Training Institute (CTTI) in Mbooni Sub-county.

This is among the 112 T.V.ETs across the country to have such a lab that is open to students, and the youth.

 Its main roles include providing a digital platform where members of the community are trained on computer skills, are empowered towards digital entrepreneurship, and can access government e-services.

The available online jobs include Data Entry, Transcription, Research, and Technical jobs which are the highest paid. To ward off scammers, the international digital organization provides a particular code per country through which one can ascertain the legitimacy of the available job and employment thereof.

Hon. Owalo added that many more will be set up in all wards across the country through a partnership with members of the parliament in a bid to implement the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda.  

While unpacking the basket of digital goodies for the county the C.S. mentioned more markets in the country will follow the Wote market route of free Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity among the 25,000 the National government is set to connect. While riding on that initiative the Deputy Governor was quick to request for connectivity of Emali and Mukuyuni new urban markets.

Mrs. Mulili also appealed for an extension of the Fiber Optic Cable to the Governor’s office building and other parts of the town as an undertaking of the 1000km the C.S talked of.

The Cabinet Secretary stressed the government’s agenda of digitizing government services to ensure a digital economy and efficiency in service delivery.Makueni County government through the Department of ICT, Education, and Internship has been at the forefront of executing this initiative by digitizing key government services. An endeavor that has seen last financial year’s revenue grow from a previous 189 to 891 million.