Kitui Governor Dr. Julius Makau Malombe has unveiled an extensive four-year development scorecard detailing major achievements realized under his administration since assuming office in August 2022, declaring that his government has implemented 2,931 projects across all the 247 villages and 40 wards in the county.
Speaking during the release of the official communiqué following the Third Kitui County Executive Working Retreat held at PrideInn Flamingo Beach Resort and Spa, Governor Malombe said the county government had made significant strides in transforming livelihoods through implementation of the “Kitui Promise” manifesto and the county’s 16-Point Development Agenda.
The retreat, themed “Vision to Legacy: Communicating the Four-Year Score Card and Achievements of the Kitui Promise,” brought together county executive leaders to assess progress achieved, identify development gaps and outline priorities for the 2026/2027 financial year.
Malombe described the retreat as a critical moment for reflection, accountability and strategic planning, saying his administration remained focused on equitable development and people-centered governance.“We have walked a deliberate path guided by our development blueprint – The Kitui Promise.
We have made substantial progress across all sectors and implemented projects touching every village in Kitui County,” said the governor.According to the communiqué, the county implemented 663 water projects, 389 health projects, 389 roads and construction projects, 354 education projects and 109 agriculture projects among others.
Water Sector Leads in Development Projects
The governor highlighted water accessibility as one of the biggest priorities of his administration, noting that the county had invested heavily in expanding access to clean and reliable water.Among the flagship projects is the Kangukangu Water Supply Project, implemented in partnership with World Vision Kenya at a cost of Kshs. 840 million.
The project includes a 224-kilometre pipeline network and 52 water kiosks serving approximately 100,000 residents.Malombe said the county had also shifted focus from expensive mega dams to more sustainable and affordable sump well technology, leading to construction of 26 sump wells across all sub-counties.As a result, residents accessing clean water within a two-kilometre radius increased from 39.8 percent in 2022 to 44.36 percent in 2025, while average walking distance to water points reduced from six kilometres to four kilometres.
To support food security and climate-smart agriculture, the administration also established 39 cluster irrigation schemes, constructed 398 sand dams and promoted solar-powered irrigation technologies.
Agriculture and Livestock Transformation
In the agriculture sector, Malombe said his government had strengthened agricultural extension services by deploying 155 technical officers supported by agripreneurs, community facilitators and village-based advisors.The county has so far trained over 827,000 farmers, surpassing the original target of 472,000 farmers.
The governor also announced the revival of the Kitui Agricultural Show and Trade Fair, which attracted more than 82,000 participants in 2023 and 2024.This year, the county plans to merge the agricultural show with an international investment conference into a mega event dubbed the Kitui Agricultural Show, Trade and Investment Expo (KASTIE), scheduled for September 2026 at Ithookwe Stadium.
In livestock development, the county vaccinated more than 1.1 million livestock through biannual campaigns aimed at controlling endemic diseases and protecting pastoral livelihoods.
Health Sector Expansion
The governor said healthcare transformation remained a key pillar of his administration, citing major investments in community health, cancer treatment and specialized medical care.The county reinstated and strengthened the Community Health Promoters programme by equipping 2,470 health promoters with smartphones, bicycles and medical kits.
According to the communiqué, household visits by Community Health Promoters increased from 649,818 to over 1.2 million while referrals rose from 15,510 to 50,822.Malombe also highlighted the establishment of the Phangisile Mtshali Cancer Centre at the Kitui County Referral Hospital.
Since its operationalization in November 2023, the cancer centre has served more than 7,600 patients, significantly reducing the need for residents to travel to Nairobi for treatment.
The county additionally established a two-bed Intensive Care Unit and one-bed High Dependency Unit, while construction of the South Eastern Kenya Renal Centre is ongoing.Once complete, the renal centre will add seven ICU beds, five HDU beds and 20 hemodialysis beds.
Education and Vocational Training Boost
In education, Governor Malombe announced that 1,688 ECDE teachers had been employed on permanent and pensionable terms, easing the burden on parents who previously contributed towards teachers’ salaries.
The administration has also disbursed Kshs. 244.8 million in bursaries benefiting 33,600 learners under the Pro-Poor Education Support Programme.To support vocational training, the county paid Kshs. 35.25 million to the National Industrial Training Authority examination programme for 7,050 trainees sitting Grade III trade tests.
The governor further disclosed plans to employ 207 Vocational Training Centre instructors currently supported by parents through Boards of Management.In a major policy direction, Malombe said the county executive would postpone the planned construction of MCA ward offices and redirect resources toward classrooms, roads and vocational training infrastructure.
Roads and Urban Infrastructure
The county government reported that it had graded 7,084.7 kilometres of roads, opened more than 1,017 kilometres of new rural roads and constructed multiple drifts, culverts and concrete slabs to improve accessibility.
The administration also repaired and installed 2,462 solar streetlights across 72 urban centres and ward headquarters, improving security and extending business hours.Further developments in Kitui and Mwingi municipalities include construction of 458 parking slots and 4.38 kilometres of storm water drainage systems.
Trade, Markets and Industrialization
On industrialization, Malombe said construction of the Kitui County Aggregation and Industrial Park was currently 54 percent complete.The Kshs. 500 million project is jointly funded by the county and national governments.The county is also facilitating construction of 12 modern Economic Stimulus Programme markets valued at Kshs. 2.22 billion.
Once complete, the markets are expected to support more than 7,200 traders across the county.Kakongo Market in Mwingi West and Kamuwongo Market in Mwingi North have already been completed and are awaiting official handover.The governor also noted significant growth in cooperative societies, with membership rising to 128,989 members and cooperative assets increasing from Kshs. 8.45 billion in 2022 to Kshs. 14 billion in 2026.
Tourism, Sports and Youth Empowerment
Governor Malombe highlighted the launch of the Kitui Tourism Circuit aimed at positioning the county as an emerging tourism destination.The tourism circuit features attractions such as Nzambani Rock, Mutomo Reptile Park and the South Kitui Game Reserve.
In sports development, the governor praised collaboration with the national government in constructing the ultra-modern 10,000-seater Ithookwe Stadium.He also cited the success of the Governor’s Cup Football Tournament which attracted 579 men’s teams and 105 women’s teams from all villages in the county.
Revenue Growth and Pending Bills
Malombe announced that the county’s own-source revenue had increased from Kshs. 361 million in FY 2021/2022 to Kshs. 996 million in FY 2024/2025, representing a 176 percent growth.He further disclosed that the county inherited pending bills worth Kshs. 2.56 billion in 2022, but had since settled Kshs. 1.78 billion.
Appeal to MCAs
The governor used the communiqué to urge Members of the County Assembly to support the executive’s proposal to defer construction of 40 MCA ward offices and instead prioritize urgent public needs.He appealed for resources to be redirected toward roads, ECDE classrooms, VTC workshops and employment of instructors.
“The County Executive remains committed to supporting institutional infrastructure and proposes to allocate funds for MCA ward offices in FY 2027/2028 and FY 2028/2029 after addressing urgent priorities affecting wananchi,” he stated.
Governor Malombe concluded by reaffirming his administration’s commitment to transformative governance, accountability and inclusive development aimed at improving livelihoods and expanding opportunities for the people of Kitui County.
