Enter Fort Machakos

The Colonial relic 

Machakos abandoned

Courtesy of The standard

The roughly hewn wooden planks standing at the heart of the ancient town hint of a glorious past when it had an impenetrable fort.

A justification for Ngilu's Wealth Creation pillar

Kitui is ready for making of

chiefs' uniforms, says Ngilu

Kitui County Textile Centre (KICOTEC) has the capacity to produce quality uniforms for Chiefs and assistant chiefs, Kitui Governor, Her Excellency, Charity Ngilu, has reaffirmed.

Kibwana backs NIIMS

Kibwana calls on Kenyans

to support NIIMS Registration

Governor Kivutha Kibwana has urged all Kenyans to support the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) #HudumaNamba registration exercise.

Ngilu's Ndengu Revolution attracts the World Bank

It’s a Grand League for

Kitui’s Ndengu Revolution

By Martin Masai

KITUI, Sunday March 31, 2019

Governor Kaluki Ngilu’s flagship programme- The Ndengu Revolution this week made another milestone when it brought together high profile national and global participants to a roundtable to underwrite its sustainability.

Fight over Galot empire rages in court

Tycoon Mohan Galot charged with fraud

By Agencies

Asian tycoon and founder of London Distillers, Mohan Galot was on Monday charged with nine counts of forgery in a viscous battle regarding the shareholding and directorship of the family’s multi-billion shilling group of companies.

Work on Thwake Dam begins

Governors push for locals to

benefit from Thwake Dam jobs 

By Barrack Muli

Governor Charity Ngilu has called on the Balzugha Company to award local jobs to area residents following the start of construction of phase one of Thwake Multipurpose Dam.

Paul Mbole passes on

Machakos mourns 

as Mbole passes on 

.

Paul Muthoka Mbole 1936-2019

VETERAN politician and businessman Paul Muthoka Mbole has finally rested. Mbole, 83, succumbed to cancer last Sunday He is the last of a generation of politicians and businessmen who for decades have informed and defined decision making in Machakos County.

Ngilu opens new front to fight poverty

Ngilu targets mass Artificial 

Insemination for Kitui cattle

By Martin Masai

KITUI Governor Kaluki Ngilu this week opens a new front for wealth creation to fight poverty for Kitui people.The plan targets mass artificial insemination for Kitui’s cattle beginning Wednesday January 16 2019.

Kibwana:What has Kalonzo done for Ukambani?

Verbatim: Gov.Kibwana wants 
audit on Kalonzo leadership

"I agonized on whether I should respond to Peter Mathuki (PM ) and finally decided I should since he is the Defacto Party Spokesman behind the Party Leader.

Kibwana questions Kalonzo's leadership

Kibwana questions future of the 

Akamba under Kalonzo leadership

By Kivutha Kibwana

During the second Kitui Goat Auction and Cultural Festival in the presence of HE Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, several legislators including Hon Gedion Mulyungi threatened that any Kambà leader who opposes SKM( Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka) in his 2022 presidential bid will be crushed politically.

Former VP Kalonzo Musyoka

Kalonzo undermining democracy- Kibwana

MAKUENI

*Kalonzo is undermining democracy in WIPER, says Kibwana*

Wiper Democratic Movement Party has expressed dissatisfaction with sentiments by its leader Kalonzo Musyoka that he is ready to become the Presidents 'errand boy'.

Wiper chairman Prof Kivutha Kibwana says the party and more so Ukambani people were not happy with his announcement.

"Though it is a statement said in bereavement, they are not happy that their leader of long standing is going to be an errand boy", said Kibwana.

Kibwana says the party equates the statement with the thought that Kalonzo has already given up with his ambitions of becoming a president.

" if now he says he is going to be a mtu wa mkono its like saying I have now given up on the presidency, I can only help those who are presidents or those who will be presidents", added Kibwana.

Speaking this morning in his Wote office, the Makueni governor said this statement has brought more confusion in the party and in Ukambani at large.

He has also questioned the issue of democracy in the party, saying the party leader is undermining democracy.

" the party announces itself as a democratic party but if the ultimate leader says he must not be asked any questions by party members, he confuses us and it's the reason muthama and the rest got confused", said Kibwana.

Ends

Absentee Kitui official speaks of pregnant candidates

Alarm as 41 of 113 pregnant

KCSE candidates give birth

KITUI

By Mercy Mueni

FOURTY-ONE candidates from Kitui have given birth since the 2018 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination began on Monday. Kitui County Education Director Salesa Adano. confirming the alarming numbers said he has a report of 72 girls who are candidates and are pregnant within the county.

Mr. Adano: Perturbing absence

Kitui sets Climate Change Regulations

Kitui County pioneers in

Climate Change regulations

By Liz Muthoka

The County Government of Kitui has passed regulations to mitigate effects of Climate Change in the county, the CEC for Environment and Natural Resources John makau revealed yesterday.

" I am happy today, that within the first year of Governor  Charity Ngilu's administration the County Assembly was able to pass the climate change  fund regulations" he said.

Ngilu seeks implants for Kitui heart patients

Good news for heart

patients in Kitui County

By Martin Masai

KITUI County Referral Hospital is set to attain a milestone in the management of heart diseases for Kitui people.This follows Governor Kaluki Ngilu’s fruitful talks yesterday with World Medical Relief Centre President Dr. George Samson to explore the possibility of implanting Pace Makers to patients with heart failure.

Mutunga eyes civic space in Makueni

Ex CJ, Kibwana,envoy explore

way to support devolution 

Governor Kivutha Kibwana yesterday hosted Dutch ambassador to Kenya Frans Makken, former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and Ford Foundation’s Eastern Africa director Maurice Makoloo at Wote to share ideas on how to support devolution through mutual partnerships.

Ngilu confronts insecurity in Kitui County

Ngilu meets IG Boinet over

Endless killing of Kitui people

GOVERNOR Kaluki Ngilu today took up insecurity concerns in Kitui County to the office of the Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinet.

Firm fails to dispose Kitui asbestos waste

Asbestos waste firm

stares at contempt case 

 By Martin Masai

A firm associated with the family of Kenya’s first African Chief Justice faces contempt proceedings after it failed to comply with a court order to remove toxic asbestos waste from a Kitui site.

The High Court gave the firm- Sonata Limited a 15 day ultimatum on September 28 to remove and dispose of the poisonous cargo. The deadline ended on October 13,2018. Sonata first buried the waste at Kiongwe Valley on land associated with the Kitili family, raising hue and cry from residents over looming danger of contaminating water sources at the valley.

Upon assuming office, Governor Kaluki Ngilu, in response to calls from Kitui residents, moved to secure the water tower by removing the waste that is now held in two containers at a yard in Kanyoonyoo.

When the matter came up before Machakos Resident Judge Justice A O Angote the court barred Kitili’s son-Maluki Kitili Mwendwa and the company- Sonata Limited- from depositing any hazardous waste in Kiongwe Valley LR Number Nzambani/ Maluma/ 690, pending the hearing of a suit filed by the Kitui County Government against the pair.

The order signified a major victory for Governor Ngilu who made an election pledge to protect Kitui people from the poisonous effects of the asbestos waste that Maluki and Sonata Ltd buried at Kiongwe valley, endangering the lives of thousands of residents who draw water from streams originating from the area marked as a water tower.

The judge partially allowed prayers sought by the County Government of Kitui in an Environment and Land Court Petition Number 2 of January 16, 2018.

A spot check today by this writer at Kanyoonyoo noticed the containers defiantly placed at the yard without any indication as to when the Court Order would be obeyed.

Contempt proceedings could result in a hefty fine, a jail term or other sanctions against the offending firm jointly with its advocates, that court would deem fit to meet the ends of justice.

Lawyer Simon Saili Malonza, who successfully prosecuted the petition assisted by Mr. Davidson Makau and Marriane Mutuvi indicated today that he will be filing contempt proceedings against Sonata Ltd for failure to comply with the court order.

When he gave the order, Justice Angote also directed that costs of the removal of the waste be met by Sonata Ltd and directed that the company, Nema and Maluki pay costs of the application to the County Government.

 “ A mandatory injunction be and is hereby issued compelling the 1^st respondent to identify and relocate the asbestos which had been deposited on the suit land to a different and suitable site, within fifteen(15) days, for disposal of the waste in accordance with the provisions of the Environmental Management and Coordination Act pending the hearing and determination of the petition” said Justice Angote.

The County Government has listed as respondents Messers Sonata Kenya Limited, Maluki Kitili Mwendwa, National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) as Ist, 2^nd and 3^rd respondents.

Maluki is the immediate former NEMA Chairman and it is curious that he is facing a suit that runs in the face of the public obligation that he was appointed to serve.

In the petition, the government is seeking 9 prayers that include a declaration that Sonata Kenya Limited is in breach of Article 42 of the Constitution of Kenya and that the act of dumping asbestos waste in Kiongwe valley in connivance with Maluki, had denied the residents of Kitui County the right to a clean and healthy environment as guaranteed in Article 42 of the Constitution, thus leading to a breach of the Constitution.

The government also seeks and order for the restoration of Kiongwe valley to its original state before it was violated by dumping of the poisonous waste and refund of tax payers’ money that the County Government used to remove the waste.

Machakos, Makueni, Kajiado governors meet over Kilimanjaro water

Chelugui, 3 governors meet

 to end Nol-Turesh water woes

By Governor's Press Service 

Cabinet Secretary for Water and Sanitation Simon Chelugui on Tuesday held a consultative meeting with governors Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni), Joseph Ole Lenku (Kajiado) and Machakos deputy governor Francis Maliti to resolve the Nol-Turesh water conflict piting the three counties.