Monthly Bulletin KILIFI COUNTY 003 March, 2021 Issue No. 003 The official newsletter of the County Government of Kilifi INSIDE... Tourism sector receives Land clinics empower Modern ECDE centres crucial shot in the arm locals regarding use of boost learning in Kilifi: Arrival of yet another airline Governor Amason Kingi on Malindi route and visit crucial resource Land clinics organised by places great premium by Ukraine tour operators a county government enlighten on quality education by harbinger of hope for tourism residents on how to put land investing in modern early sector in Kilifi County. to better use and get better childhood centres. | PAGE 8 | PAGE 6-7 value for their property. | PAGE 9 Governor Amason Kingi operates a machine for sealing pipe joints when he commissioned the water project in Joy, relief in Bamba Bamba. PHOTO/ ALEX FONDO as Governor Kingi launches Sh100m water project BY ALEX FONDO ver 11,000 residents highest and lowest points along the of Mnagoni and pipeline is 75.7m. Shirango in Bamba The County Government of Kil- ward are set to ben- ifi will pump in Sh13,029,258.06 into efit from a Sh100 the landmark project, as the Water million water project funded jointly Trust Fund injects Sh87,195,803.94 Oby the County Government of Kilifi into the venture. Once complete, and the Water Sector Trust Fund. residents will no longer have to trek The 43.6 kilometre water pipe- for long looking for water as the line, will be launched by Kilifi Gov- average radius between two water ernor Amason Kingi, and is expected points will have been reduced sig- to be completed within 11 months. nificantly. The pipeline will cut through the The project comes at an oppor- slope that stretches from Bamba to tune time when many parts of the Rimarapera and Midoina, before county are experiencing continuous tackling the gentle rise between dry weather and in some instances, Mnagoni, Rimarapera, Midoina and months of continuous drought. Ndharako, crossing a series of val- In his second State of the Coun- leys and gorges in the process. The ty Address to the County Assembly difference in elevation between the Continued on pg 2 March, 2021 - County Government of Kilifi 1 Continued from pg 2 Kilifi joins drive to fight lifestyle diseases through traditional foods BY MARION KITHI ifestyle diseases have remained a ma- jor challenge for a section of Kilifi County residents for many years. And unlike before, when the el- derly were the most ravaged by such diseases, younger people are increasingly becom- Ling victims of the same, thanks to the sedentary lifestyle evident in many households today. Kenya Cardiac Society (KCS), an organiza- tion that promotes cardiac health in the country, says in a 2019 report that non-communicable diseases caused by poor lifestyles has increased in Kilifi County in the past ten years. Continued from 1 we have been able to quench the thirst This is the situation that the County Gov- of Kilifi, Governor Kingi said his of Kilifi residents as we began laying ernment of Kilifi has set out to change, work- administration was making deliber- afresh, basic infrastructure for water ing with other stakeholders such as the Na- ate efforts to mitigate water scarcity services to improve supplies across tional Government. County Executive for Culture and Gender Anisa Omar (right) listens to an exhibitor during the launch at Karisa by reducing the distance covered by the county especially in worst hit ar- The county has now joined a national cam- Maitha Grounds in Kilifi town, of a campaign to promote consumption of traditional foods to check lifestyle diseases . PHOTO/SAMUEL KAZUNGU residents in search for the valuable eas of Ganze, Magarini and Kaloleni paign to sensitize citizens on the need to con- commodity. Sub-Counties” sume traditional foods as these help in reducing “Since the inception of devolu- In 2017, the County Govern- lifestyle diseases like diabetes, cancer and high- cassava and their diverse variants and legumes. still in your hands; you can decide to eat healthy tion, the County Government of Kil- ment partnered with the Kenya Red blood pressure. Others were assorted fish cooked using coconut and avoid this outcome,” Dr Anisa said. ifi has pumped in excess of Sh1.6B in Cross Society to initiate the 11-Km The campaign dubbed “Traditional foods for milk and prawns. According to Ms Zeifa, local foods contain interconnecting more than 550 km Ganze– Bamba main rising water healthy communities’’, is aimed at encouraging Drinks such as palm wine, and coconut iron and antioxidants which boost immunity. water pipes across the County, conse- project at a cost of Sh180 million. local communities, including the younger genera- milk (madafu), known for their health benefits She urged the county government to deploy nu- quently reducing the average distance This is one of the single largest proj- tion, to embrace their respective traditional foods . when consumed in moderation were on display tritionists to villages to sensitise people on the between water stations from over 5 to ects that the County Government of The launch of the drive at Karisa Maitha too, as were coconuts, cashew nuts, groundnuts importance of traditional foods which many now 3kms. Currently, the average radius Kilifi has undertaken to bring fresh Grounds in Kilifi town, was witnessed by Kilifi and simsim. Fruits, in all their abundance, were view as old fashioned. between 2 water stations is 1.5kms,” and clean water close to residents County Executive for Culture and Gender Anisa strongly recommended by the nutritionists. Dr Kiprop said the main agenda of the cam- said the Governor. of the most populous county in the Omar and Dr Kiprop Lagat, the Director of Cul- Those in attendance were also treated to paign is to sensitize Kenyans on how to plant, The financial support will strong- Coast region. ture at the Ministry of Gender, Sports, Culture tasteful morsels of kadzora, a rodent, which is maintain and consume traditional foods. ly boost resilience and assets in mit- The Kingi administration injected and Social Services, County Director of Culture caught using traps, roasted and taken, preferably, “Our main goal is to see youths embracing igating drought vulnerabilities across Sh105 million into the project which Ishmail Kalume, Mr Julius Mwahunga, county with ugali. traditional foods given that a big percentage Kilifi County, where climate change entailed rehabilitation of the old and director of the United Nation Education, Scien- Dr Anisa, a pediatrician by profession, says of the society has embraced modern foods for has occasioned an increase in intensi- faulty Ganze main pipeline and set- tific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and a it was disheartening to see children aged below 5 lack of better, more nutritious alternatives,” Dr ty and frequency of extreme weather ting up of a water pumping station nutritionist at the Kilifi County Referral Hospital, suffering from lifestyle diseases due to unhealthy Lagat said. events such as severe droughts and and construction of a 320,000-litre Ms Amina Zeifa. eating. She urged residents to embrace locally He said attainment of food security remained floods. A series of historic droughts water storage tank. The event was characterised by display of an available traditional foods as they were highly a top agenda for the government, the reason why in Kilifi County has continuously So far, this project has been able array of traditional foods and demonstrations nutritious, with no side effects. it put in place laws that protect traditional foods occasioned serious environmental, to supply water to over 85,000 resi- on how they are prepared for maximum nutri- “When you visit hospital right now, you and their consumption. One such law is the Tra- economic and social impacts, claim- dents in Ganze Sub-County as well tional gain. will find that 30 percent of those admitted have ditional Knowledge and Cultural Expression Act ing lives, destroying livelihoods and as Hademu in Mwanamwinga Ward, Popular dishes on display were an array of lifestyle diseases. To make matters worse, they of 2016. rendering scores dependent on relief Mwijo in Kayafungo Ward and neigh- vegetables such as pigweed, popularly known are between the age of ten and thirty years. The “Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Ex- assistance. boring communities within Kaloleni as mchicha whose leaves are famed for vita- modern food that people consume is becoming pression Act 2016 was enacted four years ago, Governor Kingi said that with the Sub-County. mins A and C and iron and calcium; Moringa poisonous and we should embrace our local tra- and is being implemented by the Ministry, with help of donors and development part- Recently, the County Govern- (mzungwi), pumpkin leaves (tsatsatsa), Bush ditional foods,” she says. the counties now brought on board in the strat- ners, his administration has achieved ment of Kilifi purchased a drilling rig Okra (mrenda), African nightshade (managu), Dr Anisa further advised that people should egy,” he said. tremendous milestones in addressing to venture into underground water African cabbage (Mwangani), among other minimise use of saturated oils as it contributes to The African Union (AU) has earmarked Year water scarcity in the region. exploration in an attempt to supple- greens. heart diseases. 2021 for promotion of culture and traditional “Through partnership with do- ment the water capacity derived from Also featured were cassava, sweet potatoes ‘’When you are diagnosed with a heart dis- foods and communities should seize the oppor- nors such as The Kenya Red-Cross, the Baricho Water Works. and cereals such as maize, millet, sorghum and ease, it’s a big risk to your health. But the choice is tunity to showcase their traditional foods.