Kibwana seeks elites’ help in developing county

Governor Kivutha Kibwana wants professionals from Makueni County to take control of developing the area.

Addressing Makueni County Development Forum (MCDF), a development lobby by local elites, Prof Kibwana challenged the members to show an interest in their home county and play an active role in developing it.

“You have all this wealth of professionalism, experience and exposure and therefore sometimes you need to tell us what we can do to make things better,” he told the group’s annual general meeting at Makueni Boys’ High School.

Among its missions, MCDF rallies individuals and groups to get involved in development affairs in their regions and invest.

“Unless we plant trees, this place will continue experiencing drought and famine and eventually it would be inhabitable,” said Mr Stephen Nzonzi, the head of the lobby.

Earlier, three MPs — Mr Richard Makenga (Kaiti), Dr Patrick Musimba (Kibwezi West) and Mr Daniel Maanzo (Makueni) — had joined the group briefly and left before the arrival of the governor.

Governor Kibwana praised the need for local leaders to work together to develop the devolved zone, but lamented that efforts towards uniting the leaders had not always worked.

He called upon the elites to take a more active role in ensuring that area politicians worked in harmony.

“When you see us fighting about these useless things, you must tell us to stop or go away,” said Prof Kibwana.

Commending the lobby in its activities, Prof Kibwana also invited the members to invest in secondary school education.

“We do not have good infrastructure in secondary schools and that is why many students go to study in other counties,” said governor Kibwana.