Kibwana fit to fill the void created by ‘hand-cheque’

Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana.

For the past one year or so, well-deserved praise has gone to Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana for his role in lifting Makueni since 2013. Makueni is undoubtedly the shining star of devolution. The massive improvements in health services—topped by the recent opening of the Mother and Child Hospital that cost only Sh135 million to construct and fully equip—are legendary and Makueni now has one of the lowest infant mortality rates. There are functioning ambulances and accessible primary health facilities in every ward.

Prof Kibwana has focused on the poorest, to improve their livelihoods by providing agricultural services at the grassroots. Artificial insemination, milk-cooling plants and mini dairy processing plants mean that even the poorest home with one or two cows can sell milk. And there are the famous fruit processing plants that add value to the small farmers with mango trees, papaya trees and passion fruit. This grassroots type of economic empowerment has been proven to be best way to uplift the lives of the poor, way better than huge infrastructural projects - like SGR- that are made for “eating”.