Kitui east MP: who is the MP for Kitui East?

Well, in the 2017-2022 Kenya parliament, the MP for Kitui East is Nimrod Mbai. He is one of the few MPs Ukambani who were elected on a Jubilee Party ticket. And since his election, he has turned out to be a considerably effective legislator, one who is able to be quite vocal on the national scene without neglecting his people on the ground. He is one of the most recognizable Kamba MPs – I mean, you just have to ask any Kamba on the street who Nimrod Mbai is, and most will have at least an idea that Nimrod Mbai is an MP somewhere. That is remarkable for a first time legislator nowadays. He is one of the leaders through whom, for better or worse, the Kamba voice is heard and I once heard someone propose him as one of the people we should consider for a future regional kingpin. He is definitely unapologetically Kamba and he has made good use of the media opportunities accorded to him by royal media services (citizen radio and musyi Fm radio).

Before entering politics, Nimrod Mbai is said to have worked as Machakos Governor Mutua’s chief of staff. Before that, he was a policeman.

One of the issues that Nimrod Mbai has been very vocal about is the ‘invassion’ of the constituency by pastrolist herders who had made life very uncomfortable for Kitui East residents. At some point, he was photographed carrying a bow and arrows on a mission to confront the pastrolists. His efforts seem to have paid off, as the pastrolist herders have been pushed back with people who had run from their farms now finding their way back.

Another area where Nimrod Mbai has won accolades is that of CDF disbursement, especially for school bursaries. He is said to have come up (or helped come up) with what many consider a fair CDF disbursement system, which has helped the most vulnerable students a great deal.

He has also been pushing for the upgrading of Kitui East roads.

Before Nimrod Mbai was Marcus Mutua Muluvi as MP for Kitui East. Previously, Kitui East was known as Mutitu constituency, under MPs like Kiema Kilonzo and Muthusi Kitonga.

Kitui to Thika: How to Travel from Kitui to Thika

Traveling from Kitui to Thika is easy. From Kitui town, you take the B7 road to Garissa road junction, then at the Garissa road junction, you turn left and drive all the way past Matuu into Thika. So from Kitui town, you take the B7, then at the Syongila Junction, you drive straight on (without turning) and drive past towns like Kabati, Katutu and Kathiani all the way to the junction – where you turn right, then drive past Matuu all the way to Thika.

The Kitui to Thika route is well served by public service vehicles – matatus, buses and minibuses. You only need to present yourself to the main Kitui bus park at Mjini, board any of the Nairobi-bound matatus and within two hours or so, you would be at Thika. Among the matatus you can use in that regard are those that belong to Kinatwa sacco and those that belong to Umowa sacco. There is another option of going to Kalundu, where there are always Matatus waiting on 'Mrengo' basis and which you can board to Thika.

Some of the matatus charge a flat fare between Kitui and Thika – meaning that you end up paying just as much as someone who is going to Nairobi, in spite of Thika being 40 or so kilometers from Nairobi.  But if you take the minibuses (like those that operate under Umowa sacco), there is a possibility of you paying less. The Mrengo matatus that are found at Kalundu charge even less, but they are likely to waste quite a bit of your time as they go picking passengers all along the way between Kitui and Thika.

The journey between Kitui and Thika is likely to take you about two and a half hours if you are using a Matatu. But if you are driving yourself with no stopovers on the way, it can take anything between one and half hours and two hours to move from Kitui to Thika.

Kitui to Wote: How to Travel from Kitui to Wote Town

If you want to travel from Kitui to Wote, there are two routes you can use.

The first route is where you move from Kitui to Machakos, and then from Machakos to Wote. So from Kitui town, you move all the way to Syongila junction, where you turn left. Then from Syongila you move to Kwa Vonza, from where you take the Kitui to Machakos road. You pass by towns like Wamunyu, Mwala and Masii before finally jetting into Machakos. At Machakos, you take the Machakos to Wote town, passing through towns like Katoloni, Muumandu, Kola, Makutano ma Utangwa, Itangini, Mukuyuni, Kilala,and Ukia before finally jetting into Wote town.

The second route is where you move from Kitui to Mutomo, and from Mutomo to Kibwezi, then from Kibwezi to Makindu and finally from Makindu to Wote.

The first route (from Kitui to Machakos and from Machakos to Wote) is likely to be shorter than the second route (from Kitui to Kibwezi, from Kibwezi to Makindu and from Makindu to Wote town).

As testament to Kenya’s infrastructure development, it is now possible to move from Kitui to Wote without having to use a dirt road/without stepping out of tarmac. That applies whether you use the Kitui - Machakos - Wote route or if you use the Kitui to Kibwezi, Kibwezi to Makindu and Makindu to Wote route. Yet less than two decades ago, it was impossible to move from Kitui to Wote without having to step out of the tarmac. Thankfully now, the Machakos to Wote road is tarmacked, as is the Wote to Makindu road.

In terms of fare, you can spend as little as 600 shillings to move from Kitui to Wote (as of March 2020). So you spend 400 between Kitui and Machakos and another 200 from Machakos to Wote. If you decide to use the second route, you should expect to spend around 1,000 shillings: as in, 500-600 from Kitui to Kibwezi, 100 from Kibwezi to Makindu and 250-300 from Makindu to Wote. 
In terms of time, if you are using the first route (Kitui-Machakos-Wote) you should expect to spend around 4 and a half hours. If you are using the second route (Kitui-Kibwezi-Makindu-Wote) route, you should expect to spend anything between 6 and 7 hours. I mean, three hours from Kitui to Kibwezi, half an hour from Kibwezi to Makind and one and half hours between Makindu and Wote...

Kitui to Mwingi: How to Travel from Kitui to Mwingi

If you wish to travel from Kitui to Mwingi, all you need to do is take the B7 road from Kitui town, cross the Kalundu river at ‘Riverside’ and move straight all the way to the Kitui Road-Garissa Road Junction. At the junction, turn right, and drive all the way to Mwingi town. So at the Syongila Junction, you don’t turn, but drive straight on, past Kabati, past Katutu and past Kathiiani all the way to the junction. At the Garrisa road junction, you turn right. Then you move past towns like Kithyoko, Kwa Muthusi and Nguutani all the way to Mbondoni. At Mbondoni, you should be able to see Mwingi town from afar and from there, it should take you just a few minutes to Mwingi town.

The distance from Kitui to Mwingi is around 95 kilometers. If you are traveling by Matatu or bus, it should take you between one and a half hours and two hours. If you are driving, it should take you a maximum of one and half hours to move from Kitui to Mwingi. There is another shorter route between Kitui and Mwingi, via Miambani (less than 60 kilometers) but unfortunately, as of March 2020, that road is untarmacked meaning that the best way to travel from Kitui to Mwingi is still via B7 up to junction, and then taking garrissa road up to Mwingi.

Some of the Matatu saccos operating on the Kitui to Mwingi route include Kinatwa Sacco, Mbikisa Sacco and Mwingi travellers. There are also buses like Mombasa Fresh, Chania Genesis and Simba with operations on the Kitui Mwingi route.

If you are in Kitui town and wish to travel to Mwingi by matatu or bus, all you need to do is get to the main Kitui bus station in Mjini and board a matatu or bus there. You are likely to find two Mwingi matatu routes there – the first being the main Kitui to Mwingi town matatu route and the other one being the Kitui to Migwani route. So if you are going to Mwingi town you take the former: the Kitui to Mwingi town direct route. In normal days, the Kitui to Mwingi matatus take about 30 to 40 minutes to fill up, and as of March 2020, the fare from Kitui to Mwingi was in the 300 kenya shillings range.

Kitui high school: what would it take to take Kitui high school to top 10 in KCSE?

In my view, there are some 3 things that would need to be done, in order to take Kitui high school to top 10 in KCSE.

Firstly, major investments would have to be made in the school’s infrastructure. Everything from the classrooms to the dormitories to the labs and the library would need to be upgraded. As things stand, it is actually remarkable that the folks running Kitui school are able to produce decent results with the infrastructure they have – including some things that have been handed down from the 1970s.

Secondly, the school would need to be equipped with world class staff. So this is about the teaching staff and the non-teaching staff. For a school to make it to the top 10 in KCSE, it needs to have an adequate number of teachers, lab technicians, kitchen staff and all other cadres necessary to give the kids a world-class education. At least as far as staffing goes, Kitui school seems to be doing reasonably well – as most of the teachers currently teaching there are experienced graduates.

Thirdly, for Kitui school to make it to the top 10 in KCSE, the intake would need to be improved. Like if we can get to a scenario where Kitui school only admits kids who get above 400 marks (out of 500) in KCPE, then the possibility of it making it to the top 10 in KCSE would be realistic. And that is not far-fetched, given the fact that I think Kitui school is nowadays a national schoo. But if we have the school taking kids who score as low as 300 out of 500 in KCPE, then it becomes very hard for it to make it to the top 10 in KCSE. Isn’t it competing with schools like Alliance, Mang’u, Kenya High School, Limuru Girls, Maseno and others that only takes with marks in the 420-450 range in KCPE? Then it becomes a very tall order for it to get to the top 10…

But when all is said and done, it is important to appreciate that Kitui high school continues to produce decent results, year after year, for a school of its caliber. Dozens of kid sfrom Kitui school get direct entry to university each year. And visiting Kitui high school on any given day gives you the impression that everything that can be done to get the kids to perform well is being done.

Kitui county news – How do I access Kitui county news?

There was a time, and not so long ago, when getting Kitui county news used to be very difficult. You see, Kitui is a very vast county – much bigger than some nations – and it can therefore be very hard to keep tabs on what is happening in all corners of Kitui.

Thankfully, it has of late become easier to access Kitui county news.

One of the best ways to get Kitui county news [especially if you are within the county] is through radio. I was surprised, the last time I visited Kitui county, to notice that there are so many local radio stations. From a time when we used to struggle to get any radio frequency, now we find ourselves spoilt for choice with regard to Kamba radio stations in Kitui. Some of the radio stations in question here include County FM, Syokimau FM, Athiani FM, Wikwatyo FM. Most of these have a special focus on Kitui county news. Then there are the 'other' Kamba radio stations --  which may be based out of Kitui, but nonetheless carry a substantial amount of Kitui news: including Musyi FM, Mwatu FM and Mbaitu FM as well as the Makueni-based Ene FM.

Then there is Kitui county social media. So you find that there are numerous Whatsapp groups created by and frequented by Kitui county folks, where you can find the sort of information that would never find its way into the mainstream media. Completed with photos and videos recorded in real time for most of the 'stories'. This is also where you find the various Kitui county Facebook pages. It is just a question of searching diligently, and you would eventually find social media platforms hosting the juiciest of Kitui county news. But you of course have to be aware of the fact that the Kitui news you will be finding at Whatsapp, Facebook and so on may not necessarily be accurate, but it does for sure give you a hint on what is happening within Kitui…

Kitui county news today

Less than 15 years ago, the only way to get Kitui county news was by word of mouth! So this is to say that if something happened in Ikutha, the only way for someone in, say, Malalani (kitui east) or katutu (kitui west) to get to know about it would have to be by word of mouth. That is because we didn’t have local Kitui-centric radio stations or Kitui-centric social media. And the only Kitui county news items that made their way into the main news (say, in KBC or Citizen radio) was when something truly big happened. Relatively minor but nonetheless important happenings would go unreported... 

Not any more. Today, we have almost half a dozen Kitui radio stations, with reporters in all corners of this vast county – reporting all things that are worth reporting in real time. You just need to tune in to County FM, or to Syokimau FM, or to Athiani FM or to Wikwatyo FM to get a very clear picture of what is happening in all corners of Kitui county. There are also radio stations like Musyi FM, Mbaitu FM, Ene FM and Mwatu FM which are based outside of Kitui county, but which nonetheless go to great lengths to ensure that they have reporters in all corners of Kitui.

And if you want unofficial news, there is a huge network of Kitui-centric social media platforms, including the various Kitui Whatsapp groups and the various Kitui Facebook pages to tell you what is happening. In many of these social media platforms, you will find not only the stories on what is happening within the various parts of Kitui county, but photos and videos to prove the tales. All thanks to the power of citizen journalism.

All said and done, we can say that getting to access Kitui county news today is a much easier task than it was, say, 15 or even 10 years ago.

Kitui county jobs today: why is it so hard to get a Kitui county job nowadays?

Well, in my view, there are 4 main factors that explain why it is so hard to get a Kitui county job today.

Firstly, many people have come to realize that Kitui county jobs pay reasonably well. As such, you find that the competition for the Kitui county jobs today is much stiffer than was the case a few years ago, when people didn’t know just how lucrative the Kitui government jobs are.

Secondly, the levels of education in Kitui are rising very fast. This translates into an ever growing number of people competing for the few available jobs in Kitui government: hence the stiff competition for the Kitui county jobs today.

Thirdly, Kitui town is growing by the day, and becoming a place worth living. Thus you find individuals who wouldn’t have considered applying for Kitui county jobs in days gone by doing so today – after realizing that they can still have an enjoyable life working in Kitui. Gone are the days when Kitui used to be viewed as a 'boring rural outpost'. The Kitui town of today has all the conveniences of modern living, great amenities and a roaring nightlife. It is a place worth working.

Fourthly, many people have come to realize that Kitui county government jobs come with some degree of job security. Many are on permanent and pensionable terms. Those that are on contracts tend to be reasonably long contracts, and are easily renewable as long as one maintains reasonable performance. These are the sorts of jobs you can build yourself in, and the terms tend to be much better than what one can get in the private sector. As more and more people become aware of these facts, it is hardly surprising that the competition for Kitui county jobs today is way stiffer than was the case just  a few ars ago.

Kitui county jobs vacancies: where can I access Kitui county job vacancies?

Well, to the best of my understanding, there are 4 places where you can access Kitui county job vacancies.

Firstly, Kitui county job vacancies are advertised in the newspapers from time to time. So it is possible for you to find the Kitui county government job adverts in the newspapers. You just need to develop the discipline of perusing through the newspapers, on a regular basis, and you are bound to encounter Kitui county job ads sooner than later. You could find ads for anything from Kitui county clerical jobs to Kitui county medical jobs, Kitui county driver jobs, Kitui county administration jobs… and anything in between. Even those Kitui CEC jobs are usually advertised in the media before being awarded.

Secondly, you can get to know of any positions that are vacant at Kitui county government by networking with individuals who are already working in Kitui county government. The most important thing is to befriend them to a level where they would start informing of you any Kitui county government jobs that fall vacant. While at it, they could also give you hints on how they got the Kitui government jobs they are currently holding.

Thirdly, you can get to know of any positions that are vacant at Kitui county government by networking with politically connected individuals in the county. These individuals tend to have very good sources of information, and they get to know of all influential positions as soon as they fall vacant. The politically connected individuals in question here range from MCAs to failed MCA aspirants (who nonetheless tend to have some residual influence), ex-councilors of Kitui,  Ex-mayors of Kitui, ward administrators, political mobilisers and so on.

Fourthly, you can get to know of any positions that are vacant at Kitui county government by visiting the county’s offices and checking out the notices on the noticeboards. Sometimes, you find positions being advertised on the Kitui county noticeboards and it is possible for you to actually get yourself a lifelong position that way.

Kitui county jobs: How can I get a Kitui county job?

Last week, one of my younger friends approached me, with a request for me to get her a job at Kitui county. She seemed to be under the impression that she was dealing with a highly-connected individual, and that I could easily secure her a Kitui county job if I so wanted. She was visibly disappointed when I told her that I didn’t have the connections to secure her a job at Kitui county. I also felt a bit disappointed with myself – yet I felt that I had done the right thing, rather than hooking the good young lady around and pretending that I could secure her a Kitui county job yet I had no such ability. I nonetheless took the trouble to advise her on some of the steps she could take, if she wished to get a Kitui county job on merit.

Firstly, I told her that Kitui county jobs are often advertised in the media from time to time. That she should therefore be perusing the newspapers daily, especially with focus on the sections where jobs are advertised. She could soon or later come across an ad for the type of Kitui county job she was looking for. Or, while looking in the newspapers for Kitui county government jobs, she could come across better opportunities elsewhere...

Secondly,  I told her to consider networking with individuals who are already working at Kitui county government. From them, she could get hints on how they managed to get the positions they are currently holding. And she could apply the same methods, to possibly secure herself a position at Kitui county government. If she managed to cultivate real friendships with the folks already working at Kitui county government, they could even alert her when positions she can apply for arise.

Thirdly, I told to consider sending her CV to the Kitui county government proactively. This way, the resume may be put in the Kitui county government database, and possibly retrieved when suitable positions arise. Or she could be lucky to have the receipt of her resume coincide with a suitable job opening: which would culminate in her being invited for an interview straightaway.  I told her to look at just how little she had to lose, in just emailing her resume to Kitui county government and forgetting about it…

Fourthly, I told her to consider seeking appointments with the local politicos and enlisting their help in her search for a Kitui county job. She could consider seeking the help of her MCA, of local political mobilizers she was well acquainted with, of the Kitui CECs she may be conversant with, of the local ward administrators she may be conversant with, of Kitui ex-councilors… and so on. To seek the help of individuals who already have connections in Kitui town hall (and to be professional all through, lest she be taken advantage of by 'fisis' in the process.)

Kitui town: Why is Kitui Town Growing So Fast?

No doubt that Kitui is one of the fastest growing towns in Kenya. Just think about it: less than 10 years it was possible for you, standing at the Kitui Kunda Kindu bus station, to see the other bus station that is in the CBD. Today, all that area from Kunda Kindu to Mjini has been built up, and many of the buildings occupying that space are of high-rise nature/multi-storied buildings.

Another sign that Kitui town has grown is in terms of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Today, you notice that crossing the towns in Kitui town is becoming a hassle, thanks to the vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The Kitui town of today is one where you find that you have to hold your kid’s hands.

And standing at a place like, say, Kiembeni Hotel or at the Kitui Slaughter House, you get the impression that you could as well be in some sort of Nairobi neighborhood, thanks to the highrise buildings. The same feeling is replicated on that valley just below the Kitui general hospital: where a place that was previously occupied by farmlands is now host to all manner of high rise buildings.

It has gotten to a point where we now have Kitui town service vehicles/tuktuks, serving routes such as Kitui town to Syongila, Kitui town to Kwa Vonza, Kitui town to Mulutu and so on. And with the completion of tarmacking of the B7 road which connects Kitui town to Mutomo and Kibwezi, one can only foresee even greater growth in Kitui town in the future...

To my mind, there are three factors that explain the fast growth of Kitui town.

One is the fact that Kitui town has a huge catchment area. With a catchment area of more than 32,000 square kilometers (Kitui county is that big – much bigger than some nations), it is hardly surprising that its headquarters would be bustling.

Another factor contributing to Kitui town’s growth is devolution, in which context Kitui town has emerged as the undisputed Kitui county headquarters (with all the benefits that come with that).

Yet another factor contributing to Kitui town’s growth is the aggressiveness of Kitui residents in educational and business pursuits. They are then inclined to invest what they manage to earn locally and elsewhere [in their business and professional pursuits] back home in Kitui town: leading to the exponential growth we are seeing in Kitui town.

Kitui county jobs shortlisted candidates: where do I find Kitui county jobs shortlisted candidates?

Well, to the best of my understanding, there are two ways in which you can access Kitui county jobs shortlisted candidates.

The first way in which you can access Kitui county jobs shortlists is by visiting the websites where the Kitui government jobs are advertised. On the website where you found the ad for the Kitui county job, you may similarly find a list of all shortlisted candidates, once the recruitment process gets to that stage. So this is a question of going online, to find the Kitui county jobs shortlisted candidates. In most cases, you will need to click on the link for the position you had applied for, in order to access the shortlisted candidates list. You can then go through the list, to see whether your name is among them...

The second way in which you can access Kitui county jobs shortlists is by perusing through the newspapers. So you find that the consequential positions in Kitui county government tend to be advertised in the newspapers. The people in charge may then proceed to publish a list of all the people who made applications for the positions and the ones who were short-listed. The most important thing here is to know when the Kitui county jobs shortlist is likely to be published, so as to ensure that you go through the newspaper that day. But then again, as a person who is searching for a job, it is really important for you to have the discipline of going through the newspaper regularly (even if you do it briefly) as the newspaper is always full of opportunities you can take advantage of.

In some rare cases, the lists of candidates who are shortlisted for Kitui county government jobs may be posted on the county’s noticeboards, and that is therefore yet another way in which you can access Kitui county jobs shortlisted candidates’ lists.

And if everything else fails, yet you had made an application for a Kitui county government job, you can just call the relevant authorities (like say, the county public service board) and request to know if you were shortlisted. It is better than foregoing an interview you were shortlisted for.

Kitui teachers sacco: How do you explain the relatively good performance of Kitui teachers sacco?

The presence of Kitui teachers Sacco is starting to be felt all over Kitui county and the entire Ukambani region. Very few people who know about the workings of Saccos in Kenya will argue with the assertion that Kitui teachers sacco is one of the most vibrant and fastest growing saccos in Kenya. This is evident in the prime properties that the Sacco is developing, and the prime locations that Kitui teachers sacco is getting for its front office operations. Which begs the question, why is Kitui teacers sacco growing so fast? 

I posed that question to a couple of teachers who are members of the sacco, and who are very proud of its achievements. And in answering the questions, the teachers attributed the fast growth of Kitui teachers sacco to three factors.

Firstly, I was informed that the fast growth of Kitui teachers sacco is due to good leadership by the folks who are at the helm of it. So you find that the folks at the helm of Kitui teachers sacco lately have been men and women of true integrity. Individuals whose only motivation is the well-being/success of Sacco. And that has translated into success for the sacco, as it inspires confidence in the membership.

Secondly, I was informed that the fast growth of Kitui teachers sacco is due to professionalism. I was informed that in recent years, Kitui teachers sacco has been endeavoring to get world class professionals to run its operations. In all areas -- from finance to IT to administration... all areas. And that this has translated into proper stewardship of members’ investments, and good customer service: which has in turn inspired members to invest even more in the sacco, knowing that their money would be under the care of true professionals.

Thirdly, I was informed that Kitui teachers sacco’s fast growth is also attributable to cooperation from the sacco’s members, most of whom have come to entrust the sacco with key aspects of their personal finances. But this has to be seen against the factors that were outlined earlier – like where the Sacco’s professionalism motivates members to make huge investments, knowing that their investment would be under professional management and good leadership. We all know of other saccos that start to fail the moment the members start to doubt the motives of the leadership teams and the professionalism of the managers. But with the solid leadership and professional management behind Kitui teachers sacco, members find themselves having confidence in the outfit – hence their confidence in making investments through the Sacco.

Changamwe to Miritini

There are at least 3 routes you can use to travel from Changamwe to Miritini.

One is where, from Changamwe round about, you turn left (and follow the Nairobi Road Straight) to Bahati, then Bangladesh, then Mikindani/Kibaoni, then Kwa Jomvu interchange -- just keep on going straight -- then Kenya Vox and finally Miritini.

Another approach is where, from Changamwe Shell petrol station, you go straight (without turning) to Magongo Mainland, then to Wayani, then to Kona Reli, then to the Majani Depot all the way to finally land at Miritini (the old Railway Station side, though the road goes all the way to SGR Mombasa terminus).

Yet another approach is where, from Changamwe Shell Petrol station, you turn left (taking the new SGR road/southern bypass), turn left  at the next interchange (the Migadini/Airport Interchange), follow the Southern Bypass all the way to where it connects with the Nairobi Highway at Bonje, then turn back for a kilometer or two to get to Miritini...

Much of course depends on which specific area within Miritini you are going to. Are you going to the Mombasa SGR station? Then the SGR road/Southern Bypass would be ideal for you. Are you going to Miritini Estate? Then the Bangala, Mikindani, Jomvu route would be ideal for you.

There are matatus, at Magongo Mainland and at Nuru area (jsut below Changamwe cooperative Bank and Changamwe KCB) where you can find matatus plying the Changamwe to Miritini route. There is also the option of going to the Changamwe round-about (which is currently being replaced with a Changamwe flyover) and from there, picking one of the matatus that serve the Miritini Estate route.

Fare from Changamwe to Miritini can fall to as low as 30 shillings during the off-peak hours and as high as 50 shillings during the peak/rush hours.

Transport between Changamwe and Miritini is available on 24-hour basis, though it does tend to start faltering at around 1 Am when a good number of the matatus close for the night. Between 2 am and 4 am, you may find yourself having to take a boda boda or a tuk tuk, if you must travel between Changamwe and Miritini then.