Mandongoi police post is one of the five security installations in Kitui County which are being beefed up to contain perennial banditry and insecurity along the porous Kitui-Tana River border. The police posts are spread across Mutha, Voo/Kyamatu, Nguni and Ngomeni wards.

The committee found out that the police post building is not connected to the water supply. Solar lighting system was yet to be done by the time the MCAs visited Mandongoi police post too.

Mr Emanuel Mbita, an officer in charge of Mandongoi police post lamented to the Chuluni MCA Mathew Vuthi-led committee that lack of water was hindering their work.

"Due to lack of water, a lot of our time is wasted as officers have to look for water instead of conducting security operations", said Mr Mbita.

The venue of Mandongoi police post is where the national government earmarked for setting up of a General Service Unit/GSU camp of the Kenya Police Service.

Other construction facilities that need improvement in Mandongoi police post are fencing and gate. The staff quarters too need to be built as well as drilling of a borehole for the police to have constant supply of water as they do their security operations in the arid and semiarid region.

Kitui-Tana River county border is some 15km from Mandongoi area in Ngomeni Ward. Kitui County Government set up KSh 50 million for construction of police posts along the border with Tana River county. This was done for 2022-2023 Financial Year budget.

Once security is assured in the region, tourism job opportunities will increase since the county has a number of game reserves bordering areas prone to banditry.

On Tuesday , a House Committee toured Kandolongwe police post construction site in Egamba area of Endau/Malalani Ward in Kitui East constituency. The Assembly Committee on Implementation was led by Chuluni MCA Mathew Vuthi. It sought to establish why the work was not completed more than six months after a contract was awarded. 

"We are here to establish why the contractor has nothing much to show months after the contract was awarded last year", said MCA Vuthi, the Implementation Committee boss. 

Mr Kiema Masua, a foreman at the site attributed the delays in completing the work to insecurity along the porous border region."When we were awarded the contract, there was a lot of security tensions in the area especially after construction materials were burned down by unknown people in the neighborhood ward" Mr Masua told the Kitui county legislators.

The Governor Dr Julius Malombe-led administration is keen in beefing up security along the border areas. Visiting the county on March 22, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Dr Alfred Mutua said the devolved unit had done a commendable job in boosting tourism  opportunities in the region.

In the 2022/23 Fiscal Year, the County Government of Kitui  allocated up to KSh 50 million to construct police posts along the porous border region. Each police post was appropriated KSh 10 Million, a communique from County Assembly of Kitui said.

Kandolongwe police post is among four others the County Government of Kitui is constructing in order to restore security in the banditry -prone area.

This ending month of March is when they concluded their training and switch over to other tasks. During this duration, I realized that the media landscape has really changed. 

A decade ago when we were in the university, it was hard to get space in the print media. There was no opportunity elsewhere. The new forum then was blogging and designing websites, writing for film, acting and poetry.

Today you can run a media house from your tablet, phone and laptop. You don't need a desktop or a big rented apartment with big screens to publish.That was us then.

Today's media training is a bit relaxed and free. When I asked the students if they sent copies to other press especially Nairobi-based legacy media, they said some did but few got published.

Due to the sheer volume of copies received, we did not manage to have all sent to press. Of course, some were rejected over scripting issues and topics selected.

But a commendable observation is that my former university comrades were humble enough to accept corrections and try again to write feature stories for an experience in publishing. None of the students we corrected did not redo work as advised. 

While we have staff studying at the university, I was reminded of my former lecturers. I asked about some of them and where they are now. Great team.

Of course, during our time we'd not afford much travel and exposure to latest media machines, but that did not make us any less of graduates. And we still keeping going strong.

It's good to help these young scholars get through media training with little frustrations which life throws around. 

Thank you Second Year Journalism and Mass Communication class, Chuka University. Through Mr Brian Musyoka, I had an experience of meeting you in your well-researched writings. Publish more and best in your  careers to come.

***

Positive thinking is powerful thinking. If you want happiness, fulfillment, success and inner peace. Start thinking you have the power to achieve those things. Focus on the bright side of life and expect positive results.

When you begin to pursue your dreams, your whole life wakes up, your mind wakes up and everything else begins to have meaning.

Everything we need to fulfill our true destiny always comes to us at the perfect time. But spiritual awareness is required to recognize those gifts and opportunities. Take hold of your passing time and convert it into living your dreams. Only then can you truly fulfill the great destiny that you were called to fulfill. 

A comfort zone will never be the path to fulfilling your true destiny. Playing small does not lead to your true destiny.

Transformation is real. If you're ready to boss up and change your life to fulfill your destiny then nothing will be able to stop you. Change will happen when you awaken the greatness within. 

Your dream is a portal to your destiny. Don't measure your dream by sense or logic. If your dream is making sense, it's not really a dream.

Fulfill your divine mandate, so you don’t follow the enemy’s mandate. I pray for grace, strength and wisdom to faithfully fulfill my calling in due time. 

Success happens when you change not when others change.

Temptations to give up will dissolve once your dream starts pouring its power onto it. We are called by the same voice for different purposes. Your destiny is in two places: one is in your hands and the other is in your dreams.

Kyuso MCA Munyoki Mwinzi is the new majority party leader replacing Maluki Mawia (Migwani MCA).  Kitui Township MCA Daniel Ngoima Kimanzi takes over as the new Majority party whip. The position was previously held by Kanyangi MCA Boniface Mukwate Katula.

Speaker Kevin Kinengo Katisya communicated to the House the court ruling that the leader of the majority party and the majority party whip are MCA Munyoki Mwinzi and Ward representative Daniel Ngoima respectively. There has been ongoing court case touching on Wiper party leadership. Speaker Katisya congratulated the new leadership. He also appreciated the outgoing duo for their dedicated service to the people of Kitui County.

"Your commitment, diligent efforts and your contributions will be remembered with gratitude", said Speaker Kevin Katisya.