I’ve spent some time this afternoon reading Issue No. 5 of the Nairobi Business Monthly magazine and the story of Makueni County has touched me. I take this earliest opportunity to share with you some of my what I found interesting in the article written by David Wanjala.
The Makueni Governor Professor Kivuta Kibwana advises that it is important to work closely with the people and allow them to tell you what they real want.
According to the author, Prof. Kibwana does more listening than speaking when engaging his people. He has utilized well his chance to implement some of the ideas he thought about during his days in the trenches when he advocated for multi-party democracy in Kenya.
In 1977, Kivuta Kibwana started his career as a lecturer at the University of Nairobi. He was then 23 years old and over the years he grew to become the Dean School of Law at the same institution.
While working as a lecturer he also maintained active links with the actors in the civil society especially those who were pro-democracy.
In 1993, Prof. Kivuta Kibwana and other academics established the Center for Law and Research International (CLARION). Under this organization Prof. Kibwana developed capacities of scholars on advocacy, public education and research.
In 2003, Professor Kibwana joined politics. He served as MP for Makueni and later as a Minister for Environment and Natural Resources.
In 2007 elections, he lost his parliamentary seat but still got a chance to serve as an advisor on Constitution, Parliamentary and Youth Affairs for the then President Mwai Kibaki.
In 2013, Prof. Kibwana became the first governor of Makueni County. During his first term, the County Assembly was allocated Ksh. 187 million for development. The Members of County Assembly demanded to be allocated Ksh1 billion instead before they accept to approve the budget. There was a stalemate between the executive and the assembly until March 2013 when they accepted to approve the budget. This means that the governor had just 3 months to implement his budget items for the financial year. In 2017, the author informs us that only 1 of those MCAs was voted back.
Participation of Children in public budgeting
Professor Kibwan told our author that even child have a chance to participate in public planning and budgeting in Makueni. They do so through poems and songs.
People’s Forum
According to the author, the People’s Forum compiles the people’s projects from all the wards and not even the governor or his deputy can change the projects submitted from this forum.
The project beneficiaries are required to elect a project management committee. This committee is responsible for approving completed projects before money is paid to the contractor or vendor.
There is a feeling that Makueni people are at the center of deciding where their money should be spent on.
Solar energy
Makueni governor believes that there is a lot of potential in the harvesting of solar energy.
In another article on the Magazine, Emeka-Mayaka Gekara tells us that Professor Kivuta Kibwana has worked closely with other human rights advocates such as Willy Mutunga, Davinder Lamba, Cyprian Nyamwamu, Timothy Njoya, Pheroze Nowrojee and Mutava Musyimi for demand for the new Constitution.
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