Ongoing projects in Makueni

Health got the lion’s share of the 2013/2014 budget with an allocation of Sh1.6 billion. Despite the lateness in approval, several projects are ongoing, among them a 150-bed maternity wing at the Makueni Referral Hospital in Wote.

The wing according to Dr James Kanyange, who is in charge of the construction, will cost Sh69 million and is expected to be ready by June, 2015. The wing is expected to reduce maternal and child mortality. Sixty kilometres away South of Wote at Makindu on the busy Nairobi/Mombasa highway, a trauma centre to cater for accident victims is coming up at a cost of Sh45 million. The foreman in charge of the project Dr James Munuve says the facility’s first phase estimated to cost Sh14.2 million is on the verge of completion.

“It will greatly ease the pressure on the District hospital,” he says. Elsewhere, old dispensaries are being rehabilitated and new ones built in the 30 wards, says the County Chief Executive Officer for health Mr Andrew Mulwa. “We have secured ambulances for the referral hospital and the District Hospital in Makindu while each sub county has been provided with two theatre tables at dispensary level. Besides, we have trained more than 100 community health workers,” says Mr Mulwa.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Water ranks high in the County’s priorities and received the second highest allocation in the 2013/2014 budget at sh356 million. Cabinet Executive Committee member (CEC) for water, irrigation and environment Mr Jacobus Kiilu says the bulk of the money has been channeled to earth and sand dams.

“We are building sand dams at our major rivers including Kaiti while medium earth dams with a capacity of 200,000 cubic metres are being built one in each of the six sub counties alongside two smaller earth dams of 10,000 cubic metre capacity in each of the 30 wards,” says Mr Kiilu.

He says the medium earth dams are also targeted at irrigation that will improve food security in the county where rain-fed agriculture is a mirage.

“We hope to have farm dams for small scale farmers and stock all our dams with fish to improve our people’s nutrition,” says Mr Kiilu.

“Rainwater harvesting from roofs and runoffs remains an important source of water for our people and has been factored in the budget,” says Mr Kiilu.

The CEC for Agriculture, livestock and food security Ms Ruth Kyatha says out of the Sh345 million allocated to the department in the 2013/2014 budget Sh70 million went to the proposed Kalamba fruit processing plant. “Land for the project had been acquired and levelled awaiting the laying of the foundation as we await the approval of this year’s Sh110 million allocation,” she says.

“Besides, we have trained soil conservation workers, five in each of the 30 wards, trained farmers on better crop and animal husbandry, bought seeds for free distribution to farmers and subsidised artificial insemination services,” she says.

 

The department of lands and urban planning has implemented plans for major urban centres and undertaken a surveying project for issuance of title deeds in the centres, says the CEC in charge Ms Judith Kalinga.

Key projects undertaken according to Ms Kalinga include the identification of parcels affected by Standard Gauge Railway for purposes of compensation.