Over 500 Residents Benefit from Free Medical Camp in Semi-Arid Makima as Lions Club Raises Health Awareness

November 10, 2026 No comments

By BRIAN MUSYOKA

More than 500 residents of the semi-arid Makima area in Mbeere South Sub-County, Embu County, have benefited from a free medical camp organised by the Lions Club of Embu, bringing essential healthcare services closer to a community where access to medical facilities remains a challenge for some residents.

President of Lions Club of Embu Kamotho Makara engage one of the beneficiaries during the medical camp. MWINGI TIMES |Brian Musyoka

The medical camp provided an opportunity for locals to undergo medical examinations, receive treatment and establish underlying health conditions that they had previously not suspected.

Speaking during the exercise, Lions Club of Embu President Kamotho Makara urged members of the public to take advantage of free medical camps, saying they offer an important opportunity for people to access healthcare services without incurring treatment costs.

Makara expressed concern that many people continue to suffer from various illnesses while staying at home instead of seeking medical attention, warning that delaying treatment could expose them to more serious health complications.

He encouraged residents to make regular hospital visits and embrace preventive healthcare rather than waiting until their conditions deteriorate before seeking medical assistance.

Dr Josephine Kibaru, who participated in the medical camp, said several residents were diagnosed with conditions they had not previously suspected, including high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar levels.

She noted that the findings highlighted the importance of regular medical check-ups, explaining that some lifestyle diseases can develop silently without obvious symptoms until they reach advanced stages.

Dr Kibaru urged residents to make routine hospital visits and undergo medical screening to enable early detection and management of diseases before they become life-threatening.

She further emphasised the need for communities to embrace preventive healthcare, noting that early diagnosis and timely treatment play a critical role in improving people's quality of life.

Some of the beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the Lions Club of Embu for bringing free medical services closer to their homes, saying the initiative had helped them understand their health status and access services they might otherwise have struggled to afford.

They called on the club and other organisations to organise more medical camps in the area, saying such initiatives are essential in improving healthcare access, particularly for vulnerable households in semi-arid communities.

Free Ride to KJSEA Marking Centres for 400 Kitui JSS Teachers Courtesy of KUPPET

Mwingi Times

November 10, 2026 No comments

By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT

History was made on Monday in Kitui County after the Kitui branch of Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers sponsored free transport to over 400 Junior Secondary School to their Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment marking centres across the country.

JSS Teachers from Kitui county pose for a photo beside one of the vans hired by the KUPPET Kitui branch to transport them to KJSEA marking centres across the country. Kitui KUPPET branch Executive is Secretary Philip Maanzo is in their midst. |MWINGI TIMES

According to the Kitui KUPPET branch Executive Secretary Philip Maanzo, the move was a fulfillment of a key campaign promise as contained in the branch manifesto to teachers. He said it marks a dream come true for the union branch leadership.

Flagging off the convoy from Kitui and Mwingi towns, Maanzo dispatched five hired buses, the union branch bus, and 15 hired 16-seater vans ferrying the elated teachers to their respective marking centres.

Maanzo said the initiative was proof that under visionary leadership, the branch was committed and determined to serve teachers beyond the ordinary and make them proud members of KUPPET. "This is a dream come true. We promised our teachers that we would stand with them, and today we have delivered," he said.

He also added; "KUPPET Kitui branch is determined to serve the teachers of this county with dignity and ensure they are facilitated to deliver on their national duty."

POLITICS

Kalonzo Eulogise Kitavi Mutua

Mwingi Times

November 08, 2026 No comments

By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT

Wiper Patriotic Front Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has paid an emotional tribute to fallen former Nation Media Group journalist Kitavi Mutua. He described him as a journalist of conviction who dedicated more than two decades to telling the stories of Kitui County and the wider Ukambani region.

Kitui Woman Representative Dr Irene Kasalu and Kitui South MP Rachel Nyamai at Kitavi Mutua funeral service on Saturday.|MWINGI TIMES

The sentiments were contained in a eulogy read by Kitui County Woman Representative Irene Kasalu on his behalf during Mutua’s funeral service at Kisayani Primary School in Kitui South on Saturday. Kalonzo recalled that the late journalist joined Nation Media Group in 2002 as a correspondent covering the Lower Eastern region.

For more than 20 years, Kalonzo said, Mutua devoted his journalism career to highlighting issues affecting ordinary people, including access to water, healthcare, agriculture, politics, county governance and community development.

"His stories revolved around our water, our hospitals, our farmers, our politics, our county governments and our people," Kalonzo said.

The Wiper leader, who hails from Kitui County, remembered Mutua as a journalist who consistently carried the concerns of ordinary families from remote villages such as Kisayani to the national newsroom. "He did it without fear or flattery. He had no patience for hypocrisy. In our country, that is a rare virtue," he observed.

Kalonzo said he had come to know Mutua more closely in recent years when the journalist undertook research for the writing of his second autobiography. He described the assignment as one that required patience, honesty and exceptional listening skills, qualities he said Mutua possessed in abundance.

"That kind of work demands patience, honesty and a good ear. And Kitavi had all three," he said.

The Wiper leader expressed sadness that Mutua would not live to see the autobiography completed, noting that his contribution had already become part of the book. He added that appropriate ways of recognising and honouring the journalist's contribution to the project would be explored.

Beyond journalism, Kalonzo described Mutua as a passionate farmer, an environmental enthusiast who loved planting trees, a man of faith and a mentor who generously nurtured young journalists and communicators. "A man of faith and a mentor to many young journalists and communicators who learned from his generosity. The trees he planted will keep growing, and so will the people he guided," he said.

Meanwhile, Green Action Party leader Isaac Kalua Green also paid tribute to Mutua, particularly highlighting his mentorship and contribution to nurturing writing talent. Kalua Green said Mutua played a significant role in sharpening his writing skills, helping him develop the confidence and technical ability to write newspaper opinion columns.

He credited the late journalist with teaching him how to structure and compose articles effectively, noting that his mentorship had enabled him to venture into newspaper column writing. Green's tribute added to the growing recognition of Mutua's legacy not only as a committed journalist but also as a mentor whose influence extended beyond the newsroom.

Mutua died on October 30 following complications arising from a snake bite suffered days earlier.

BUSINESS

Tseikuru: 15 Goats Killed in Hyena Attack

Mwingi Times

November 07, 2026 No comments

Thank you for this interview with us. At MWINGI TIMES, we value local perspectives to give context to stories we cover. News is local.

A section of the 15 goats killed in Kaningo location, Tseikuru ward, Kitui county. The rancher, Mr Paul Peter has appealed to the government to be more responsive to farmers' plight as many have lost their livestock to wildlife attacks.|MWINGI TIMES

Musyoka Ngui: What was your initial reaction when you learned about the attack on your livestock by hyenas?How many goats did you lose on the day of attack?

Paul Peter: I was very shocked and I immediately rushed to the scene. I lost 15 goats.

Who did you report this incident to and what was their takes?

Unfortunately, the area had no network coverage and the neighbors reported that when they report to KWS, no action is taken. The person they report to had traveled to Mombasa.

You have a brilliant idea about ranching and using this land to earn a living. Breathing life to such a hot, dry and arid Kitui land. Yet with all this effort, instead of life, it is death and losses. What is your message to KWS on wildlife compensation? This is not the first time there has been human-wildlife conflicts here.

They should try to mitigate the issue by compensating farmers and having proper channel of reach at Kaningo. They should also educate farmers on immediate action to take when there is a human-wildlife conflict.

I hope you will not abandon this venture going forward. As a way of picking up pieces, have you considered relocating from this area or herding differently because predators here are hunting?

Yes, I immediately relocated my goats and herdsman to a nearby homestead. I am planning to relocate further to areas of Kyuso ward for fear of another attack.

What other challenges do livestock keepers face in Kaningo?

Lack of proper water and people there has poor knowledge of livestock diseases. The outbreak of ‘ivui’ killed so many goats.

Has the government helped you in any way? Do you feel safe here?

No way. The government just kept silence. There is totally no safety.

We run livestock market prices especially on Thursdays. We get immense feedback at all levels. As an established farmer specialising in this work, what do you recommend as interventions in saving the market?

They should consider following the stock market done in areas like Baringo and Kajiado counties to raise the market price.

Mulwa joins push for expansion of Mombasa-Nairobi highway to curb accidents

Mwingi Times

November 06, 2026 No comments

By LYDIA NGOOLO

Head of the National AIDS and STI control programme(NASCOP) Andrew Mulwa has joined the push for the expansion of the Mombasa-Nairobi highway.

NASCOP Head Dr Andrew Mulwa speaks at Kilome Constituency of Makueni County. MWINGI TIMES |Lydia Ngoolo

Addressing various rallies in Kilome Constituency, Dr Mulwa said dualing the road is key to taming series of fatal road accidents along the busy highway.

He said pushing for its expansion will be his priority if he is elected as Makueni Senator in next year’s General Election.

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