Machakos County Government

The Government of Machakos County has undertaken a massive Green Energy Project combining both wind and solar power to light the Athi River Interchange. In deed, Machakos County is the Place To Be.

Today, the Governor Dr. Alfred Mutua officially launched Makutano ma Mwala- Kithimani Road three months after road works on the road commenced.

The 33 kilometre stretch is the first road that has been tarmacked by a county government in Kenya and cost the Government of Machakos County Ksh. 650M.

The event held at Makutano ma Mwala was attended by over 25 MPs, Senators, and Women Representatives from both Cord and Jubilee alliances and over 30 Members of Machakos County Assembly.

The Governor Dr. Alfred Mutua recently launched the Machakos County Comprehensive Water, Roads and Agriculture Program at Masinga Sub-County.

To ensure water security, the County Government is drilling over 800 boreholes, 820 dams & pans, water raised tanks for treated water for all 896 villages. We have already mapped out every village using modern technology and also plan to de-silt all the existing dams. By December 31st 2014 this year, every village will have a clean water tank.

On road infrastructure, the County Government is tarmacking all major roads starting with the Makutano-ma-Mwala to Kithimani road then the Mavoko roads to ensure that movement within the county is convenient.

Apart from the free tractors, subsidized fertilizer, free chicks and free seeds that were availed and will continue to be availed to farmers, we are giving greenhouses to 20 women groups in each of the county's 40 wards to enhance food security for the county and country in general.

To fast track these developments, we have purchased 36 heavy machines that include borehole rigs, bulldozers, excavators and graders.

Machakos, Maendeleo chap! chap!

Residents of Mavoko Sub-County have something to smile about after the Government of Machakos County commissioned the rehabilitation and construction of the deplorable roads in the area. While presiding over the ceremony, the Governor Dr. Alfred Mutua reaffirmed his commitment to putting up infrastructure to hasten development and growth in the County.

Though the roads to be constructed are classified -under the National Government, the County Government acknowledges that it will take a long time for them to be considered as there have been broken promises on the same hence the need to move fast and make the roads.

The roads include 4km Devki-Pepe-Namanga Road; 1.5km Pepe-Shell (Tuskys) Road and 1Km Mzee Paunrana (Rhino Cement) Road. The roads will cost Ksh. 103M to be brought to bitumen standards and will take 4,3 and 2 months respectively to be completed.

The Government of Machakos County is also going to improve the town's drainage with construction of additional culverts and road furniture improved with road kerbs, and paint markings. Street lights will also be reinstated.

The Government of Machakos County plans to make our roads safer by erecting guard rails, road signs, putting speed bumps and marking the roads.

It is shameful, sad and painful that we still lose lives through road accidents. We are therefore not going to spare any persons that break traffic laws be it by over speeding, overloading, drink driving or not fitting the required gadgets in all public service vehicles as stipulated in the transport rules.

Traffic officers allowing people to break the law under their watch will also feel the full force of the law. Road unworthy vehicles' drivers and owners will not be spared either.

Let us make our Roads Safe and Save Lives.

Follow this link to see what the Government of Machakos is doing to fight water shortage in the County. http://youtu.be/tO-ykndXRw4

20140305 REVIVING MACHAKOS LIFELINE POLITICS MUNENE

This afternoon the Governor Dr. Alfred Mutua led his Cabinet and other high ranking County Government Officials in touring around Machakos Town to inspect infrastructure; see about provision of essential services such as water and health care and assess general state of affairs in the town. The Governor together with the officials also took the opportunity to get views from the electorate.

One year on since the County Government came into being, a lot has changed and a lot will be done to ensure the County ranks among the most developed areas of the world.

Dr. Mutua has always affirmed that his administration is a 'Kusema na Kutenda' one. Following the tour, water taps within and around the town will be running with clean water within two weeks. This is so as there are improvements being done to the pumps at Maruba Dam so as to increase the capacity needed to meet the demand of the commodity.

To ensure provision of proper health care, the Ministry of Heath and Emergency Services is currently distributing medicines and equipment to all health facilities in the County.

To the Youths who work in car wash bays, operate boda boda motorcycles and women- our mothers, who sell farm produce at the Marikiti Market, the Government of Machakos will put up shades for them so as to enable them work in conducive environments. It will also construct washrooms for them to ensure high hygienic standards are maintained.

On security, the County Government has already installed several CCTV cameras in strategic areas, installed street lights in all major streets and erected giant floodlights (mulika mwizi) to curb crime.The Government of Machakos is a firm believer that a 24 hour economy is a possibility in the County.

The Government of Machakos plans to beautify the town and improve drainage. It will pave walkways with slabs and cabro so that dust is minimized if not made a thing of the past altogether.

Sunday, 23rd February Machakos Stadium hosted its first Kenya Premier League matches in history. The newly refurbished stadium will from this season be home to two premier league clubs- Sofapaka FC and Mathare United FC. Though the results did not favour the home teams as they both lost 1-0 to Sony Sugar and Gor Mahia respectively, fans hope the future is bright as a new football culture is introduced to the County residents.

The Government of Machakos has today launched a Comprehensive Healthcare Program aimed at improving the healthcare in the County. Presiding over the function, governor Dr. Alfred Mutua said that his government is committed to ensuring that healthcare is accessible to all.
The County Government has bought 70 ambulance vans and 10 rapid response motorcycle ambulances-all fully equipped and ready, for each of the 69 locations in Machakos County. The Motorcycle ambulances will be distributed to towns and congested areas and also in places where the terrain is such that a motorcycle can use a shortcut to get to a patient quickly for life saving first aid as they await the van ambulance to arrive.
The County Government has also started construction of 40 community hospitals by upgrading existing health centers and building new hospitals where there are no existing services. Spending Kshs.500 million for this venture, each of the community hospitals - one per ward - will have a maternity, ward, mini-theatre, lab and x-ray facilities. These hospitals will be fully constructed by end of June, this year, and fully equipped and functioning by end of August, 2014. Equipping them to international standards will cost an additional Kshs. 150 million.
In addition, the County Government has budgeted and set systems for the proper functioning of health centers. All hospitals and clinics have adequate medicines and consumables such as gloves and needles.
The Department of Health and Emergency Services has ensured that no patient ever shares a bed with another patient or sleeps on the floor.
To retain and attract medical personnel, the Government of Machakos is constructing housing at a cost of Kshs. 150 million, and ensuring there are overtime allowances for medical personnel, as earlier promised

SPEECH BY H.E GOV DR. ALFRED N. MUTUA DURING THE LAUNCH OF AMBULANCES AND COMMUNITY HOSPITALS

In Machakos County there are many children called Nzia, meaning road, because they were born by the side of a road. Others are called Nzyoka, which means "He has returned" because they were born after the death of the one they followed. Giving birth in Kenya and continent, Africa, is a precarious affair. Many children are born at home, on the road or in bushes. Mortality rates are high because mothers are not able to get to a health center on time and especially if an operation is required.
Access to healthcare is a fundamental right that has eluded many of us. One of the principles of devolution is to provide better and accessible healthcare to all Kenyans.
To this end, we have decided to ensure that all citizens and visitors in Machakos have access to emergency care and treatment.
The United Nations’ World Health Organization recommends that there be a community hospital within every 5 kilometers of every person. This is a target that we hope to achieve in the near future.
Getting to hospital for emergency treatment is essential to save lives. That is why while I was campaigning, I promised that our mothers will no longer be ferried on wheelbarrows and donkeys to go and give birth.
Today, I am pleased to fulfill that promise. We are unveiling a Health Care program of Kshs. 1 billion.
In this program, we have purchased 80 ambulances. Seventy are ambulance vans and 10 are motorcycle rapid response ambulances. All the ambulances are fully equipped and ready. Each of the 69 locations in Machakos County will have an ambulance available 24 hours for emergency care. The Motorcycle ambulances will be distributed to towns and congested areas and also in places where the terrain is such that a motorcycle can use a shortcut to get to a patient quickly for life saving first aid as they await the van ambulance to arrive.
The brand new ambulances have cost Kshs. 125 million which is less than the Kshs. 140 million that was budgeted for in our estimates. Call centers are also ready so that there is speedy response. Each of the ambulances has two trained paramedics who are conversant with the area of operation. Each of the ambulances will have fuel and location trackers and a communication radio for dispatch. In an emergency, anywhere in Machakos County, dial 999 for a police vehicle or ambulance, 24 hours a day.
In the whole of Kenya, we have about 200 ambulances. We have just added 70 to that number. The expenses for their fuel and maintenance has also been budgeted, factored and assured.
Because you cannot have an ambulance taking a patient to a clinic which is not able to cater to the patient's needs, we have started construction of 40 community hospitals by upgrading existing health centers and building new hospitals where there are no existing services. We are spending 500 million Kshs for this venture and each of the community hospitals - one per ward - will have a maternity, ward, mini-theatre, lab and x-ray facilities. These hospitals will be fully constructed by end of June, this year, and fully equipped and functioning by end of August, this year. Equipping them to international standards will cost an additional Kshs. 150 million.
We have also budgeted and set systems for the proper functioning of our health centers. All our hospitals and clinics have adequate medicines and consumables such as gloves and needles.
In Machakos County we have ensured that no patient ever shares a bed with another patient or sleeps on the floor.
To retain and attract medical personnel, we are constructing housing at a cost of Kshs. 150 million, and ensuring there are overtime allowances for medical personnel, as earlier promised.
I give notice to all health care workers and administrators that with this investment, service provision should be excellent. All medical centers should be spotless clean and at all times looking new and organized. A hospital should be the epitome of hygiene. Therefore, if a health center is dirty and toilets are dirty and stinky, then the one in charge of the hospital has to go home immediately for endangering the lives of patients. We are going to conduct an audit within a month and start weeding out people not able to adjust to the international standards we are setting in Machakos for the benefit of our people.

In conclusion, I wish to say that we are able to achieve all our development projects because we planned ahead even before we prepared our budget, so as to capture our manifesto promises. We are also adhering to strict procurement guidelines and transparency. We have set reserve prices so we get goods and services at market prices and even at the case of these new ambulances managed to get them below the market prices.
All the money we have is for the people and not for corrupt elements and we make sure every shilling gives us value. Some people have wondered, does Machakos have more money than other Counties. We are doing this because we are spending all money for the people and not for corrupt networks.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I wish to inform you all that my Government is fully seized with the failure of the rains and the food security problem. To this end, we have reallocated Kshs. 250 million in our supplementary budget for food relief, especially targeted to school feeding program.
Finally, ladies and gentlemen,
We no longer need to hear of children in Machakos given the names of roads and bushes because after today, their mothers can be quickly taken to hospital. At the most, we should be hearing of children called "Ambyulanzi".
Thank you and God bless you.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Machakos Stadium.

Today Governor Dr Alfred Mutua officially opened the Machakos People's Park to the public. While presiding over the ceremony, Dr. Mutua said the park would at all times be made accessible to all members of the public, regardless of their backgrounds and economic ability so that it forever remains the people's park.

The Government of Machakos cordially welcomes you to a 3-day entertainment extravaganza at the Machakos People's Park. The extravaganza featuring local artists-both secular and gospel music, begins this Friday, February 14 through to Sunday 16th.
Karibuni Machakos County, The Place To Be.