News Categories: National celebrations

12 Dec
By: CGK 0

56th JAMUHURI DAY CELEBRATIONS

H.E. Joseph Lenku officiated the  56th Jamuhuri Day celebrations with a strong message to residents to desist from being used by detractors of development who were keen on scuttling the gains made by his administration in uplifting the lives of the people of Kajiado.
He said the County has for a long time enjoyed peace with the different ethnicity coexisting in harmony despite holding differing social-political beliefs.
He lauded the County Assembly under the leadership of Speaker Johnson Osoi for approving the list of nominees to the County Public Service Board and by doing so demonstrated the spirit of Jamuhuri of selfless giving for service to the people.
In his speech during the celebrations at Kitengela town, Lenku said his government was keen on improving access to healthcare through such initiatives as Mbuzi Moja Afya Bora as well as infrastructure development in building more roads and schools in areas of need.
He further revealed that he will spearhead a monthly clean-up campaign dubbed Operation Keep Kajiado Clean (OKKC) in urban centres of the County every last Saturday of each month as a way of addressing garbage collection.
“We have partnered with several youth groups to recycle garbage in ways which create business and individual revenues for the people involved,”
said Lenku.
To address water challenges the governor said talks with the Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA) are underway to have the parastatal transfer its fresh water pipeline to the County Government. This  he said this will offer cheaper and affordable water to residents.
Lenku also rallied his support for the people of Mosiro who had due to the deviation of a natural river by Tata Chemicals Magadi Ltd, endured without bitterness the destruction of their land by flood waters. He assured them of support in all legal means to ensure that the river’s natural course is restored.
On his part Deputy Governor Martin Moshisho urged the residents to reward the spirit of Jamuhuri Day espoused by the selfless giving of the founding fathers of the country who set the stage for the fruits of independence that they were enjoying.
“Each one of you should be accountable in the fight against the  neo-colonialism of rampant poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and corruption,” he said.
Moshisho called for unity of purpose between leaders, residents and stakeholders for development to be realized in all sectors.He said it is through working together that the County Assembly and Executive formulated a one of a kind Anti-FGM Policy that is being emulated by other Counties in the republic.
Kajiado East MP Peris Tobiko challenged leaders to leave a mark in the history of the County by making positive impact and spur development initiatives that will touch the lives of the people.
“ Through our leadership positions let us make a difference by offering solutions to the challenges faced by our people and be remembered for the services we offered,” she remarked.
Present during the celebrations were MCAs local leaders, county officers, stakeholders among others.
Read More
23 Oct
By: CGK 0

SPEECH BY H.E JOSEPH OLE LENKU,GOVERNOR, COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF KAJIADODURING THE 55TH MASHUJAA DAY AT THE KCB GROUNDS, KAJIADO TOWN ON 20TH OCTOBER, 2019

All leaders from all walks of life;
Our friends and Development Partners;
Distinguished people of Kajiado;
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We gather here to celebrate Mashujaa Day, a time dedicated to honoring and recognizing the heroes and heroines who brought us to where we are today.
Some of these mashujaa paid the ultimate sacrifice, giving up their lives in securing the freedoms we cherish. Kenya, and Kajiado, have a long history filled with many great names that we show honor and respect to during this time of remembrance and celebration.
In cherished memory, we reflect on these men and women, their accomplishments as well as the sacrifices they made. For example, recently, in Kajiado, just nearby in Kisaju, we had a ‘state’ burial of the most celebrated of our recent heroes, Mzee Daniel Kasirimo Ole Muyaa, the long serving Chairman of Olkejuado County Council.

Here, we witness a patriot who sacrificed his comfort in service to his people and his country. The county honoring him in this way was to recognize that he never laboured in vain. We shall remain perpetually grateful to those who went before us for their effort and contribution to create a more vibrant and prosperous Kajiado. It is our desire that we leave Kajiado a better place then we found it.
Mzee Ole Muyaa was a friend, a father and my personal advisor who I meet with so often.

He always advised me on the importance of unity and leaders working together to create a conducive environment for prosperity and sound development for posterity. This is my appeal to my fellow leaders that we listen and take to heart his words and honor of this departed hero.
Therefore, allow me, with a lot of humility, and respect for his family who are with us here, to request that we stand for a minute of silence in honour of the departed great son of the Maa nation – Mzee Ole Muyaa!
Ashe oleng! Thank you!

Ladies and gentlemen:
On the Monday of October 20th, 1952, that is 67 years ago, a very dark ‘cloud’ of suppression descended upon our nation. The British foreign rule declared a state of emergency on our land; and they started an operation to forcefully arrest and prosecute Mzee Kenyatta and other African leaders of our freedom struggle.

True, many of us, in this generation, were not there, then. But we know that our leaders paid heavily, some paid the ultimate price of losing their lives, for our sake; they were jailed so that we can be free; they fought for us to enjoy peace today.
Out of their struggle, came our freedom; and out of their pain and loss, came our gain!

A few emotions excite us more than those of the events of the Mashujaa Day we are celebrating now. This is because our heroes of freedom sacrificed their all; they waged a long and bloody war to secure our freedoms and liberties.

Indeed, there are few people in our history who stood firmer and braver in the spirit of courage, unity and sacrifice than Mashujaa wetu wa uhuru.

From the villages of Lari, the ominous detention camps of Manyani, the cold caves of the Aberdares to the thick bushes of the foothills of the majestic Mt. Kenya, our heroes refused to budge and accept a foreigner to decide our destiny.

Therefore, every time we meet, like this, to celebrate Mashujaa Day we affirm the historical reality that our freedom today was not given; was not granted freely. It came through the sweat and blood of selfless patriots of our great land.

Hence, this is a time that requires a reflection to our heritage, a re-evaluation of today’s challenges and a vision for a healthier future!

This moment is, equally, a reminder to reaffirm our commitment, our dedication, to the ideals for which these fighters stood for and were ready to die, if necessary! This commitment should find its expression in our present courage, unity and sacrifices in meeting the aspirations of this generation to determine their destiny.

The unity of purpose of the freedom heroes serves as a sterling example for us, the Maa nation. Part of our common tradition, from Narok to Kajiado, Laikipia to Samburu, Baringo to Nakuru, is courage and facing challenges in our natural environment decidedly.

Therefore, as we celebrate Mashujaa Day, this year, this time, this day, provides one crucial moment we cannot afford to lose; the Maa moment; the Maa turning point.
However, our history of clannism and division serves as a warning to us that united we stand, divided we fall! It wasn’t smooth sailing for our heroes and heroines of freedom; it won’t be smooth sailing for us either. But I know, for sure, it is doable! Day by day, one by one, we will continue with what our freedom champions began.

My people, the Maa unity is not only rooted in our shared warrior tradition but, also, in our openness to live and work together with the rest of Kenya. Our Post-independence heroes, some with mixed pedigree, affirms our commitment to unity and coexistence with our neighbours and friends.

Outstanding amongst these heroes are Hon. Stanley Shapashina Ololoitiptip, Hon. Godfrey Kimoisa Ole Kipury (our first senator), Hon. William Ronkorua Ole Ntimama, Hon. John Keen and Major (Rtd) Joseph Nkaiserry who served where we are as Member of Parliament and Interior Cabinet Secretary. We are proud as a community to have offered this great nation not one, but two vice presidents: Hon. Joseph Zuzarte Murumbi and Hon. George Musengi Saitoti.

Therefore, I can stand here today certain that our great community will continue to put forth more strong leaders for our country.

At the same time, they will remain the symbol of tolerance and accommodation to other Kenyans, regardless of their ethnicity.

We, the locals and those who have joined us from elsewhere, we are united, in diversity, by a common aspiration for a peaceful county and a progressive nation. I say to you our friends that let this be your destination of choice for a brighter future! Kajiado is a land of promise; the ‘Canaan’ of sorts across the Athi River.

Ladies and gentlemen:
It is only when we join hands in unity of purpose in our environment that we can truly celebrate our Mashujaa here in Kajiado. This land produced great men and women and we need a long time to enumerate their achievements.

For example, on the wake of our independence, when the country needed the first African director of medical services as the Europeans for which it was discriminatively reserved for hitherto were leaving, it was our own son, Dr. Jason Likimani, who filled in the void. At the time, few if any, Kenyans had had any meaningful medical training.
He was a trail blazer and an outstanding example to our youth today that the Maa are, equally, up to it in education and training.

In similar efforts, we cannot forget Mama Zipporah Senterua, the earliest of the nurses in Kajiado who helped to lay the foundation of modern hospital nursing in our county.

Just a few days ago, President Kenyatta noticed the contribution of Mzee Moiyiae Nkaka Ole Kurrarru who gave us the great gift of water by donating his land which provides free access to the source of the Kimuka/Saikeri/Oloisho-Oibor water Pipeline.

Further, for tens of hundreds of years, our warriors, bound by culture and history, bravely roamed unmatched, in skill and tactic, in the Great Rift Valley of Eastern Africa. Our reputation is unrivaled in this region.

As we remember the fallen mashujaa who had to heroically battle foreign empires, brandishing weapons of war and fighting for their lives to bring forward the Kenya we hold dear, today we have new giants, new heroes, who make our nation to shine.

Because of our hard earned freedom we can now fight on a global scale for greater and more peaceful things: for the glory of human achievement. Today, we have new heroes to look up to, heroes who fight not in the forest and caves but who run on the roads of Europe to the cheering crowds made up of citizens from around the world; today we honor a new hero, a sporting champion, Eliud Kipchoge who we stand in solidarity with; his resilience was as admirable as it was inspirational. We salute his unyielding determination and those of our Maa athletics heroes, David Rudisha and Billy Konchellah before him.

Away from the international scenes, it is not lost on us, at all, that the struggles of everyday people, today, bespeak of the same courage, same determination, that has dotted our land for years.
I think of that herdsman, in the dry Torosei, who has to cover hundreds of kilometers daily to feed his flock; I think of that mother with his baby strapped on the back in rural Lenkisim going out daily to look for food and water for her family; I think of that teacher in Meto who goes out of her way to drive illiteracy out of our community; I think of that relentless kiosk vendor in Isinya and Ngong who wakes up at 5 o’clock in the morning, every day, to earn a honesty living.
From the deepest depth of my heart, I pay homage to these gallant men and women of Kajiado, who are part and parcel of our efforts to develop this great county. We respect you; we appreciate you! You are the reason I wake up every morning with the hope that today and tomorrow will be better than yesterday. It is this hope that I give you as we press on and remain steady in our goal of keeping Kajiado raising in the best and worst of times!

In this celebratory mood though we are not unmindful of the current disturbing situation that our land can hardly feed us!
This threatens to negate the spirit of access to food and land that our freedom heroes dreamt of. Owing to our failures of the past, land utilization, adjudication and disposal has a lot of room for improvement. We have so much potential and its harnessing only depends on solving problems revolving around land.

Consequently, this has left the County Government with no option but to balance the interests of all stakeholders through the implementation of the County Spatial Plan.

The plan seeks to safeguard both the local community and investors against land cartels that have descended on our county leaving behind sad tales of loss and agony, if not crippling poverty! It clearly delineates separate lands for pastoralism, human settlement, industries and business.

Ladies and gentlemen: The fact that so many of us in rural Kajiado still face pangs of hunger in our everyday lives, is a glaring reminder that the freedom, and the dignity our forebears painstakingly fought for, is yet to be fully achieved.

This has brought a new sense of purpose to my administration.
Not only is food security an integral part of my government’s priorities, but the dire need to empower our people economically through strategic agribusiness ventures is, now, a matter top priority.

It is clear to us that farming is not an option in view of diminishing land size and increasing populations. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than around Selenkei/Olkeriai River, the Nolturesh Belt, and the Nkuruman Escarpment and the plains served by the newly found Kimuka/Saikeri/Oloisho-Oibor Pipeline.

We desire to empower our people to do the farming themselves as opposed to just leasing their land. I have formed an inter-departmental action plan group bringing together the Agriculture, Cooperatives, Irrigation and Public Works departments to develop a food security empowerment concept paper for Cabinet and County Assembly approval to enable budgetary consideration.

We are also working to protect and strengthen the business opportunities for our urban centres.

As part of our efforts, we have invested a great deal of resources into building markets in our towns to take care of ever growing urban population. This lot, as in the case of the rural farmers mentioned above, have my government’s support so that together we can build a more equitable society and create a better tomorrow.

We are witnessing some individuals working against the spirit of Kajiado. By diverting our rivers to private fams, securing a water source for personal gains against community interests, is a selfish behavior and greed that will not go unaddressed. Recently, we found out that this is happening around Nolturesh River. Nolturesh must flow to its final destination as it did in the days of our heroes. Similarly, those in our urban centres diverting raw sewage into storm water drainage systems will equally be punished. Their greed that pollutes our environment and endangers our lives will not be allowed to continue. As Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian Nationalist leader observed, the world has enough for all of us, but not enough for our greed.

Conclusion :
Our independence heroes, whose efforts we are celebrating today, fought for the ideals of fairness and justice; they fought for access to opportunities by everyday Kenyans ; they fought for good health care for all, good education for our children and self-sufficiency in food.
The Maa nation made a miss-step by not embracing modern education. On the other hand, the fight to reclaim land was an independence struggle ideal. But we, the Maa, went the self-defeating direction of selling land. Further, our negative clan allegiance goes contrary to the call to cohension and national unity, very well articulated in our constitution. Cummulatively, we are at the verge of losing our voice !
It is time to retract our steps ! As our great fallen hero, Dedan Kimathi, said, “It is better to die on our feet than live on our knees.” The Maa nation is at a crossroads.
Therefore, we need to reclaim our lost glory ; correct the malaise of illiteracy ; stop the reckless disposal of our land and embrace one another in unity of purpose. This will enable us to play our rightful role in national politics as our heroes we enumerated above did.
No price is too high for me to pay in pursuit of this just path ; our voice must be heard.
Our contribution to our nation must be selfless, much in keeping with our freedom struggle heroes, whom we are celebrating today.
I pledge my utter obedience to this cause and I promise the people of Kajiado that I am committed to progress that is beneficial to all of us because I am guided by the spirit of being stronger, together
Thank you !God bless Kajiado ; God bless Kenya !

H.E JOSEPH OLE LENKU,
GOVERNOR, KAJIADO COUNTY

 

Read More
01 Jun
By: CGK 0

56TH MADARAKA CELEBRATIONS

H.E the Deputy Governor led the people of Kajiado on behalf of H.E Joseph Ole Lenku in marking the 56th Madaraka Day Celebrations at KCB Grounds Kajiado.

In accelerating service delivery to the people it is important to recognize that our County and National Government has no boundaries as we mark 56 years of independence. Kajiado residents do celebrate the milestones of devolution that has brought service delivery close to the people.

“We celebrate and honor all those who gave their lives to the struggle of our independence so that we can enjoy total freedom. Coming together and working hard in our communities to transform lives and fight poverty is proper and befitting in honoring those whose blood was shed and paid the ultimate price for us to govern ourselves” said Moshisho.

H.E the Deputy Governor Martin Moshisho was accompanied by Members of County Assemblies and County staff.

Read More
11 Feb
By: CGK 0

MADARAKA DAY PREPARATIONS

Madaraka Day preparation kicked off today as H.E the Governor was accompanied by County officials and the Interior Ministry top officials led by Principal Administrative Secretary, Kang’ethe Thuku EBS visited the Madaraka 2019 National Celebrations venue in Kajiado town.

The joint National and County team will immediately start the infrastructural foundation as well as other necessary preparations.

”As Kajiado people, we are grateful to President Kenyatta for choosing Kajiado as a the host of the national event.This is an honor to us and we promise the Country the best celebrations ever”Lenku said.

 

 

Read More
12 Dec
By: CGK 0

SPEECH BY H.E. THE GOVERNOR DURING THE JAMHURI DAY CELEBRATIONS

SPEECH BY H.E. JOSEPH OLE LENKU, GOVERNOR, COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF KAJIADO, DURING THE JAMHURI DAY CELEBRATIONS ON DECEMBER 12, 2018, AT NGONG STADIUM:

Our County Commissioner, Mr Kipkemei,
Our Hon. Members of Parliament;
Hon. Speaker of our County Assembly;
Hon. Members of the County Assembly;
Our officers of the County Executive Committee & County Public Service Board;
The great & respected people of Kajiado;
Ladies and Gentlemen:

Today, more than 55 years since our country threw off the chains of colonialism and created our great Republic, we have come here as a free people. A people free to celebrate and commemorate this remarkable achievement by the founding fathers of our Republic; a free people in a free Kenya and, indeed, a very free Kajiado.
Friends: It is the unrelenting spirit of our freedom struggle which produced our Republic that we commemorate and rededicate ourselves to today. This is the spirit which has given us the perpetual urge to fight for freedom and victory over grinding poverty, crippling diseases and rampant unemployment; it is the same spirit that has kept us determined to transform our lives, governance and economy.
It is this same spirit which affirms that our journey towards a good and prosperous life, towards a highly developed Kajiado, has not always been easy. The road has neither been straight nor easy. However, inspired by the struggle of the heroes and heroines of our independence struggle, we, too, will keep going; we will keep trying; and do so because it is said that defeat is only for those who stop trying!
I am extremely glad for the various courageous warriors of development who have, willingly, joined me in this arduous journey of developing our county. Our area MP, Hon Joseph Manje, is for sure, a giant who never tires in helping our people; our members of the County Assembly from this region and others, you are great and honorable leaders!

My dear brethren: The freedom, for which our independence leaders paid the ultimate price to realize, makes our county what it is today – a free land and a home to everybody!

Ours, especially here in Kajiado North, is a socially vibrant, multi-ethnic and cosmopolitan county, a Kenya ndogo of sorts. We are all here – the Maasai, Kikuyu, Kisii, Akamba, Luhya, Luo and therest of Kenyans – together and united as residents of Kajiado. Indeed, we are the face of Kenya!

This is the kind of unity which strengthened the resolve of our founding fathers to build a nation out of multiple classes, ethnicities and races. Out of many, became one; we became one united nation of Kenya.

This is the same unity which continues to-date to inspire confidence in us in order to keep moving forward no matter what; this is the unity that I, relentlessly, preach and stand for as your Governor!

My Cabinet, from the beginning of my time as governor, bespeaks of this unity by bringing together people from different communities and political affiliations.

Ladies and gentlemen: We all live here because of the promise that this Pastoral Paradise, Kajiado County, offers. A promise of a place to call home in a country where land sizes are shrinking; a promise of raising up our families and giving them a good life; a promise of a blissful countryside and thriving town; a promise which we really cherish and relish as the people of Kajiado.

It is in this connection of raising up our families, therefore, that I want, from the deepest depth of my heart, to wish our standard 8 children, whose examination results came out recently, Godspeed in their secondary school education and training.

May God, the Almighty, continue to shine His countenance on the faces of these little angels; may He grant it that they all be selected to various secondary schools of their choice. Those yet to know their fate, we will work tirelessly, day and night, to make sure they go to school; Our County Government has an elaborate bursary scheme that will come in to assist those that face fees challenges.

Talking of the opportunities for a home that Kajiado offers, here, Kajiado North, is home for me too. I have a very personal attachment and extremely fond memories of this place. While I was born in Oloitokitok, it is here, in neighboring Nkaimurunya Ward, that I have lived for all of my adult life. I started my family here; all my children were born here in Kajiado North! I still have visible traces of my life in this area; my dear friends, I am, simply, one of you! That is why I insisted that this year’s Jamhuri celebrations in Kajiado North, my home!

Friends, I am here to appreciate you, my fellow home mates, for your unwavering support during my campaigns for governor.

There are many of you seated here today, with whom we spent many days together during the campaigns; there are many of you here who walked with me every step of the way until we achieved victory; there are many of you who chose to have faith in me and my leadership from the word go.

I owe it all to you guys! My vow, brethren, still remains – I will serve you; I will remain your safe pair of hands in times of need; in times of difficulties! As our independence heroes and heroines made Kenya a safe haven for all of us, I will make Kajiado a safe haven for you and your families to thrive! We are a free people whose lives are improving every day, we are ripe for prosperity, and ready to build a strong future for our children.

I will do all I can to preserve that freedom and walk with you until we have achieved our development goals.
Ladies and gentlemen: For too long our county has been plagued by water problems and our towns are suffering from the stench of garbage. Water shortage and non-functional or non-existence sewerage disposal system is our utmost challenge. This is a challenge which we must confront. I repeat, we must confront! It cannot, must not and will not wait a day more!

That is why I want today to speak frankly and directly about this menace. We appreciate that as opportunities abound in our county, so do our challenges. Kajiado serves Nairobi, our nation’s capital, as a bedroom extension.

Indeed, we are the backbone of our capital’s economic success and as such numberless workers in the city live and do business here. This has overstretched our water and sewerage systems.

However, because of the ongoing efforts of my Government our urban centres are headed for renewal. Our Ngong and Kajiado municipalities are now a reality. Two days ago, our Municipal Management Boards were sworn into office after approval by our County Assembly last week. I thank our Speaker Mheshimiwa Osoi and our MCAs for approving all the nominees and thus accelerating the operationalization of our municipalities.

These boards are critical in seeking resources from the World Bank and other international donor agencies to finance capital projects on areas of infrastructure, water and sewerage systems. I urge them to quickly settle into their office and make the fixing of our sewerage systems a priority.

We have increased our efforts, particularly, in water supply. A few weeks back, as you may be aware, we declared sale of salty water in our county illegal. This is primarily to protect our people’s health. My administration has already taken up the implementation of this directive. We have started to construct boreholes properly fitted with desalination facilities to increase the supply of fresh water for domestic, public and animal consumption. The first of such boreholes is in Kitengela.
As we drill new freshwater boreholes, my Government has embarked on mapping out the already existing salty water boreholes to be immediately fitted with desalination equipment.

Friends: It goes without saying that this venture of desalinating our boreholes will require heavy capital investment and deployment beyond my Government’s fiscal capacity. Alone we cannot manage to do much. We call upon our development partners in the fields of health, water, sanitation and finance to join us to run this invaluable programme. We cannot afford to wait another day! The impact of salt to our health and that of our children cannot afford us the luxury of sitting on the fence on this one.

As we desalinate our boreholes, I am extremely, concerned with the rampant, not least the very reckless, disposal of waste and raw sewerage to the public spaces, roads and walkways. This is as much a gross violation of our health rights as it is a total disregard to our environmental and public health regulations.
The poor sewerage disposal is a challenge we are all facing – rich and poor; young and old;across the breadth and width of our county urban centres. I know that even if you can argue that you are not affected by this menace in our public spaces, you know someone who is – a child who has missed school because of a cholera attack emanating from raw sewerage; a neighbor who can seldom leave the house for being confined by the chocking stench of sewer effluence;
Or even a shopkeeper or kiosk owner who has lost all his livelihood because of sewage water outside his shop!
Therefore, we must do what is necessary to fix this problem! We have to get it right this time round; we have to do it! We have to and we are determined to find a lasting solution to this problem. For example, our efforts are directed towards the decommissioning the dumpsite here at Ngong.

The Kajiado Integrated Solid Waste Management funding has been approved by the Italian Government. Together with our National Treasury, we are now moving to the last stage of signing the financing agreement by the two governments. The tendering process to decommission this dumpsite will commence in a few months. The residents of Ngong will soon have this menace removed from their lives!

My friends: I will now talk about land. I have been concerned by the rampant cases of land fraud. Many families are embroiled in endless court disputes over land simply because unscrupulous people have devised cunning ways to falsify documents.

I will not watch as genuine investors in Kajiado County are conned of the lands they have rightfully bought through the principle of willing buyer/willing seller. My administration will protect all those who buy land genuinely and will support those who have found our County to be worthy as their new home. I urge all people with land cases to try arbitration and seek the assistance of our County Land Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee. Together, we will safeguard our land and ensure that investments are secure so that our county can grow.

Ladies and gentlemen: As we move to transform our county we have put a number of projects in place. Many roads are under construction, particularly here in Kajiado North; universal healthcare under Mbuzi Moja, Afya Bora has been enthusiastically received by our people; programmes to grow and preserve hay to feed our livestock during the dry season are already in place as well as efforts to create access to markets for our agricultural produce.
All these changes and many more that I cannot mention here directly speak of our resilience as Kenya. Every time we are faced by challenges, we rise up to the occasion to sort them out. Over a half a century ago, when we were faced with imperial oppression, we beat the British in their game of domination;
when ignorance assailed the breadth and width of our society, we set ourselves on the path of educating our people and produced the most educated people in Africa; and more recently, when we were faced by the threat of tearing apart our nation, during the 2007/08 post-election violence, we quickly agreed to set aside our differences and put our country back together again!

That’s indeed why I am more optimistic for our nation, Kenya and county, now than ever before. Our President, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, and his government has relentlessly supported us and developmental projects. Recently, he chose to celebrate next year’s National Madaraka Day Celebrations in our county headquarters, Kajiado town! We welcome you all and other Kenyans in advance for next year’s Madaraka Day celebrations.
Therefore, friends, as I stand here and look to months and years ahead, I see a future that is brighter. There are good and prosperous times ahead. The hatred on political party lines which dominated our social atmosphere up to recently is now behind us and in this post-handshake era; our ethnic differences which for so long and in so many ways pitted us against one another are, increasingly, becoming history; and the days of opposing government only to win political mileage are verily, verily, bygones!
And now, friends, ladies and gentlemen, in one unwavering accord and resolute, let us join hands together to develop Kenya; let us join hands together to develop our great county of Kajiado.

I wish you all a happy Christmas and a prosperous new year.
Thank you and God bless you all abundantly!

H.E. Joseph Ole Lenku
Governor, Kajiado County

  

Read More
20 Oct
By: CGK 0

55TH MASHUJAA DAY CELEBRATION

SPEECH BY H.E JOSEPH OLE LENKU, GOVERNOR, COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF KAJIADO, DURING THE 55TH MASHUJAA DAY AT THE KCB GROUNDS, KAJIADO TOWN.

• Honourable Members of Parliament;
• Honourable Members of the County Executive Committee and the County Public Service Board;
• Honourable Members of Our County Assembly;
• The County Commissioner and other officers of the National Government present here;
• Our friends and Development Partners;
• My great people of Kajiado;
• Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen;

I salute you all, in the name of God, the Almighty, for making time to attend this great occasion. It is my utmost pleasure to have everybody here, my friends!
For sure, I feel, greatly, privileged to stand before you to mark this Mashujaa Day, the second one in my tenure as your Governor. This shared sense of privilege comes from the fact that we are here, today, to share in the enormous joy which comes with remembering our protracted, long, freedom struggle; the joy of the selfless sacrifices of the great heroes and heroines, who paid their all, for our freedom; the freedom we enjoy!

And therefore, friends, it is loud and clear that ours, as a nation, is a heritage of the utmost sacrifice. More than 66 years ago, in 1952 to be particular, our nationalist leaders, under the inspiring patronage of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, put their life on the line for the dignity of this nation; they put their life on the line for the free and independent Kenya that we are today. They made our impressive nationalist history while determining our destiny as a free people!
Consequently, ladies and gentlemen, Mashujaa Day comes with an extremely pleasant memory of the great sacrifices which made us a nation. Following their nationalist activities, our heroes and heroines were hunted down by the brutal force of a foreign government; they were arrested and convicted of crimes they did not commit; they suffered and endured the indignity of being prisoners which they never deserved.
But finally, they emerged from being victims of colonialism to victors of freedom. Theirs was a beautiful testament of the timeless truth, as Dr. Martin Luther King put it, that there is no gain without pain!
Our nationalists struggled against everything that was ugly, mean and degrading to us. From the giants like Mzee Kenyatta, the legends like Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, defenders of our culture like Mzee Ntimama to the many warriors, without number, who shed their innocent blood for us to be free, we have a brilliant legacy; a legacy which not only inspires but also drives the aspirations of those of your and my generation.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my considered opinion, that these leading lights of our nation, some alive and others long gone, are examples worth emulating for us here in Kajiado and the nation at large. The stories of their lives remain treasures no one, I say no one, can steal from us; they are salutary lessons in endurance, hard work, dedication and commitment.
Simply put, their lives and voices, from the distant past, constitute a clarion call to us to arise and shine in the development of our county; a call to move away from division, ethnic or otherwise; a call to be committed to always move forward, whatever the difficulties we face; and a call to embrace the noble assurance that our forebears stood against odds and we can do the same now; they secured a future for us which bespeaks of not only hope but also change and change for the better!
In a sense, therefore, our heroes and heroines’ dedication to our nation earned them a place in the history of this important occasion, Mashujaa Day! Theirs was a life of service to the nation. They offered their all and many paid the ultimate price by losing their lives!
And therefore, as a perpetual tribute to Mashujaa wetu, I want to let you know, my great people of Kajiado, that we have a mission; a mission to offer service to our county. Without some such efficient and effective service to our people, the sacrifices of our Mashujaa wetu will come to naught, zero kabisa!
Mine this day, then, is a wake-up call for service; a call upon my people to serve humanity! I call upon the youth of this county to service: Our youth, true, you cannot be a Dedan Kimathi fighting in the Mau Mau War in the bush but you can be a diligent student in our schools creatively fighting ignorance. Our future lies in you, young people, and your future lies in education!
If you are trained and well educated, opportunities in our county are infinite; we are a county with endless possibilities! Please, our young people take advantage of them! Take advantage of our programmes, with our partners, of moulding job creators instead of job seekers in our vocational institutions; indeed, take advantage of our investment in vocational skills development in our county.
With that kind of onslaught on ignorance by our young people, never again will Kajiado be regarded as a county of less educated people; with our adult education programmes taking root very fast, never again will our older people have any excuses for being illiterate. Never again! Never!
Now to our mothers, our sisters and our daughters. If you cannot be a Syokimau, the prophetess and leader who won the hearts of the Akamba people by foretelling the coming of the British, you can win the hearts and minds of our many children and mothers to our Universal Health Coverage programme.

This program, under the clarion call of Mbuzi Moja Afya Bora, will get the hospital bills burden off the backs of our people. Disease has kept down so many of us, in so many ways and for so long. But now, mothers, you have the key to its end – Mbuzi Moja, Afya Bora!
My fellow menfolk, if you cannot be the maverick, the powerful, Hon. William Ronkorua Ole Ntimama, and defend our land rights as well as culture to the hilt, you can support and defend our Spatial Plan to control unsustainable sub-division of our ranches and lands. Our present County economy will be made or destroyed depending on how we utilize our inelastic resource – land! Our County is a Pastoral Paradise; IT IS our land which makes it so.
IT IS this land which will bring our plans of turning our livestock into a thriving industry; IT IS this land that will enable us to invest in mass production of hay to cushion our animals against the vagaries of weather; IT IS this land that makes our County a preferred business hub. IT IS this land that will help us to deal with the grinding poverty which confronts our people every day!
Let me now turn to my fellow leaders. Leaders of Kajiado, if you cannot be Mzee Jomo Kenyatta or Daniel Arap Moi and rule Kenya for a while, you can defend our Kenyan democracy and create a Kajiado in which all of us, as brothers and sisters, can live in harmony, work in unity and improve our lives together. Let us go for our dream of prosperity for all; let us not tire, my friends, in bringing our people together.
For sure, we must have our eyes trained on higher and better things for our County and our Country. That is the essence and spirit of uniting Kajiado!
To our county officers, let me not say much but you know, in no uncertain terms, that service is the buzzword of our daily operation; service to the people; Huduma kwa wananchi!

There are no alternatives to providing our people with water sustainably and in ways which are environmental friendly; there are no alternatives to connecting water to all households in our County; there are no alternatives to harnessing all our water sources to satisfy our needs; and more importantly, there are no alternatives to effective and efficient revenue collection! ALL THESE SERVICES AND DESIRED DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES ARE OUR RESPONSIBILITY AND MUST BE DELIVERED TO THE PEOPLE OF KAJIADO.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Like the heroes and heroines of the old, we are determined in our government to serve our people. In all ways and with all our efforts, we are set to make the present and the future better than the past. Each one of us has a personal and moral obligation to make it so.
My dear people of Kajiado, allow me to take this opportunity to recognize and appreciate just a few of our heroes and heroines who went before us.
These are people whose deeds of service to our people have contributed immensely to the good that we experience today, as the people of Kajiado.
Today, I wish we remember Supeet Ole Sitonik;The ritual expert from the Ilmeirishari age set who reigned supreme between 1806-1826. I also recognize Mutunkei Ole Nchoonka of the Ilkaputiei and who was the first colonial chief. I also recognize the work of Lenku Ole Mpaa, a great traditional leader and peacemaker among the Ilkisonko. This man was the leader of the Ilterito age set and a government chief. In his lineage, is your Governor.
From the Ildolokilani, we recognize the distinguished leadership of chief Maora Ole Loorpisia. This great chief was renown for his great sense of justice. The Ilodokilani had the great Chief Ntoyian Ole Sayianka.
I cannot forget Matayian Ole Risa, the effective government chief from Ildamat.

Ladies and gentlemen,
The Maasai people had some of their gallant sons involved in the Mau Mau struggle. Here, I note the role played by Peter Shompole Ole Leroka, who was captured by the colonial masters and later rehabilitated to become a veteran teacher.
Even the Kenya African Union, KAU, the precursor to KANU, had a Maasai in it. This man was Harry Louise Nangurai, their treasurer, and who hailed from Ngong.
In this era of our history, was Taki Ole Kindi, of the Ilterito age-set and who translated the New Testament of the Bible in 1922. We also recognize Reverend John Tompo Ole Mpaayei, the veteran teacher and author from Ilkeekonyokie. This man of God worked as the chairman of the East African Bible Society and as a director of World Vision International, which has over the years, done transformative projects to make human lives better. In his lineage, is our Senator, Philip Salau Mpaayei.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Women have not been left behind in our annals of history. I will particularly wish we recognize the founders of girl-child education in Maasailand, a responsibility for which we continue to strive to achieve desired success todate.

In this category, we honour Loise Mpayiai Nkaaka from Oloitokitok, who was the first Maasai girl to go to school. Hand in hand with this feat, is Zipporah Senterua Pelo, from Ildalalekutuk, who was the first girl to step in a classroom in Narok. This woman of exceptional academic ability, was also the first Maasai girl to join the prestigious Alliance Girls High School in 1949. She was closely followed to Alliance Girls by Emily Nasotokini Pertet from Ilmatapato in 1952.

Less than a kilometre away from where we are, there was a great woman. This woman played a critical role in promotion of education and built a sanctuary in which many Maasai girls were rescued and saved from harmful cultural practices such as female genital mutilation. Today, I wish to acknowledge Priscilla Nangurai of the Kajiado AIC Primary School, for offering our girls a safe haven to advance their education.

Still in the world of academia, the Maasai people are proud of Gideon Saina Ole Mpoke from Ildalalekutuk, who was a veteran educationist and Secretary of the African District Council. Another great scholar among the Maasai is the Geoffrey Ole Maloiy who was born in Ngong and rose the academic ladder to become a world renown Professor of animal physiology and veterinary medicine at the University of Nairobi.
Others in this category of prominent teachers are Jason Ole Sein, the renown English teacher and successful businessman and rancher as well as the no nonsense disciplinarian, Mwalimu Jonathan Simitia Ole Solitei from Ilkaputiei.

My people of Kajiado,
As we celebrate our heroes, let us recognize the roles played by our political leaders, especially in the post-independent Kenya.
Let us remember Joseph Murumbi, a nationalist who became Kenya’s second Vice President after Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Stanley Shapashina Oloitiptip, the founder MP of Kajiado South in 1963.
We also recognize Kajiado’s first senator, Godfrey Kimoisa Ole Kipury, in whose lineage we have one of the foremost Maasai women scholars, Dr Naomi Kipury.

In the struggle for the second republic, I wish to hail the bravery of Mzee John Keen Ole Kipampi. He remains our very own face of the fight for multi-party democracy in the early 1990s.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Kajiado’s history cannot be complete without our later day heroes whose interaction with Government led to transformative development in various sectors especially in education. Leading this list is Professor George Saitoti who became Vice President and minister in key ministries such as finance, education, and internal security. We all know Professor Saitoti’s role in the starting of our main educational institutions in Kajiado as well as promotion of the spread of the gospel through construction of churches.
Finally, I wish to recognize Major General (Rtd) Joseph Nkaiserry who served in the Kenya Army for many years before becoming MP for Kajiado Central and later Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Co-ordination of National Government.

My People of Kajiado,
All these men and women worked very hard for our well-being as a people. There are many others who we shall continue to recognize and honour going forward. Let us emulate their attitude towards serving humanity. Let us all strive to be a Shujaa.

God Bless you and May the Almighty, bless you all! Enjoy your Mashujaa Day.

H.E Joseph Ole Lenku
Governor, Kajiado County

Read More
11 Oct
By: CGK 0

MASHUJAA DAY CELEBRATION

The County Government of Kajiado in conjunction with the National Government will be celebrating Mashujaa Day on Saturday 20th October 2018.

This is therefore to invite you to join us for the celebration at KCB ground at Kajiado from 10:00am.

 

Read More
01 Jun
By: CGK 0

55TH MADARAKA DAY CELEBRATIONS

Kajiado County Governor Joseph Ole Lenku has called on all the people of Kajiado County to remain united as the first step towards achieving desired developmental milestones.

He was speaking today at the KCB Grounds in Kajiado where he led the County in observing the 55th Madaraka Day celebrations.

He said the people are at the heart of all developmental activities and as such his desire lies in restoring the unity of all the political leaders, creating a collaborative and cooperative leadership of working together, pulling everyone together in one direction for a shared vision for the County.

Lenku outlined the gains made by his government in different sectors since he took charge and reiterated that all the resources invested in development projects in his administration must be managed in a prudent manner.

“My government will not tolerate theft, waste and mismanagement. The people have bestowed trust in me and I give my commitment to serve the people of Kajiado based on professionalism, diligence and integrity” he said.

He asked the residents to be proactive in scrutinizing the way development projects are being handled in their Wards to keep on check corrupt individuals and cartels who try to steal from the County.

At the same time the Governor revealed that beginning 1st July 2018, all financial systems will be automated. The IFMIS, the E-citizen Government Digital Payments Platform, E-procurement, and the digitization of registries at the Department of Lands will restore efficiency and credibility to all county government Departments.

Accordingly, in a move meant to commit everyone in government to account for results and delivery on the government plans and programs target set, the Governor said he plans to roll out a Performance Management System for County Employees.

The Governor assured the residents of speedy repairs on the roads within the County that have been ravaged by the recent floods adding that the County has set aside funds for the exercise to be conducted in collaboration with the National Government and related agencies.

The Deputy Governor Martin Moshisho on his part underscored the importance of self-governance saying that it has brought about the freedom for Kenyans to determine their own  development agenda.

He lauded the gains brought about by devolution in the County adding that this could not have been possible if Kenyans were not united and speaking in one voice.

“Our forefathers fought on our behalf guided by patriotism and national values of peace love and unity to ensure that we enjoy the fruits of development in a secure environment,” said Moshisho.

Present at today’s celebrations were the County Commissioner David Kipkemei ,Senator Phillip Mpayeei,Legislatures, County Ministers, Members of County Assembly among other leaders.

 

Read More