Kwale governor mandates contracts for women, youth-owned firms in bid to fight poverty
Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani has ordered all county departments to award development project contracts exclusively to companies owned by women and young people, in a move aimed at reducing unemployment and tackling poverty across the region.
The directive, which applies to all 10 devolved departments including Health, Agriculture, Education, Social Services, and Infrastructure, covers projects such as the construction of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres, dispensaries, roadworks, urban cleaning, and the expansion of water pipelines in areas like Diani, Kwale, Kinango, and LungaLunga.
Governor Achani said more than 300 companies owned by women and youth have been registered in the county, with at least 105 of them already awarded contracts to implement various projects.
“We have been developing ECDE centres, building dispensaries, improving roads and cleaning urban areas across Kwale. That is why we asked our women and youth to form companies. I am proud to say that many of these projects are now being executed by our own local enterprises,” Achani said.
She added that the county government cannot absorb all job seekers, hence the need to support alternative means of employment through such empowerment programmes.
“So far, these contracts have created hundreds of jobs. We have always encouraged locals to register companies so they can benefit from government tenders and become self-reliant,” she said.
Several companies have already benefited from the initiative. Among them are Samburu-Chengoni Women Company in Samburu Ward, Khairat Women Limited Company in Mackinnon, Waridi Young Mothers Limited in Ndavaya, Tunusuru Women Company in Ramisi, and Wyzata FC in Msambweni Sub County.
Riziki Mwasoza, Chief Officer for Social Services and Talent Management, noted that many residents previously relied on farming, livestock, fishing, and tourism for income sectors that have been severely affected by climate change.
“Many of our women and youth have been part of VSALAs (Village Savings and Loan Associations), but the returns are often too little. These tenders have opened up a new path to financial independence for them,” she said.
Sale Makata and Sophia Mohammed, members of Pamvan Women Investment Company based in Vanga, LungaLunga, say they used to depend solely on savings groups. That changed when they secured a Sh1.4 million tender to supply food to the Kombani drug rehabilitation centre.
“We used to save all year and still end up with just a few thousand shillings. But now, a single tender has helped us earn over a million. It’s a game-changer.”
At Mackinnon Road, Hussein Chigulu from a newly registered youth company shared similar sentiments after receiving a contract to extend a water pipeline to Vinyunduni.
“This is our first job as a company. We are earning money, supporting our families, and paying school fees,” he said.
Governor Achani called on more youth, women, and persons living with disabilities to form companies and register for tenders, saying the county government remains committed to inclusive development.
“We want everyone to get a fair chance at improving their lives. This is how we build a stronger, more equal Kwale,” she said.
The directive, which applies to all 10 devolved departments including Health, Agriculture, Education, Social Services, and Infrastructure, covers projects such as the construction of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres, dispensaries, roadworks, urban cleaning, and the expansion of water pipelines in areas like Diani, Kwale, Kinango, and LungaLunga.
Governor Achani said more than 300 companies owned by women and youth have been registered in the county, with at least 105 of them already awarded contracts to implement various projects.
“We have been developing ECDE centres, building dispensaries, improving roads and cleaning urban areas across Kwale. That is why we asked our women and youth to form companies. I am proud to say that many of these projects are now being executed by our own local enterprises,” Achani said.
She added that the county government cannot absorb all job seekers, hence the need to support alternative means of employment through such empowerment programmes.
“So far, these contracts have created hundreds of jobs. We have always encouraged locals to register companies so they can benefit from government tenders and become self-reliant,” she said.
Several companies have already benefited from the initiative. Among them are Samburu-Chengoni Women Company in Samburu Ward, Khairat Women Limited Company in Mackinnon, Waridi Young Mothers Limited in Ndavaya, Tunusuru Women Company in Ramisi, and Wyzata FC in Msambweni Sub County.
Riziki Mwasoza, Chief Officer for Social Services and Talent Management, noted that many residents previously relied on farming, livestock, fishing, and tourism for income sectors that have been severely affected by climate change.
“Many of our women and youth have been part of VSALAs (Village Savings and Loan Associations), but the returns are often too little. These tenders have opened up a new path to financial independence for them,” she said.
Sale Makata and Sophia Mohammed, members of Pamvan Women Investment Company based in Vanga, LungaLunga, say they used to depend solely on savings groups. That changed when they secured a Sh1.4 million tender to supply food to the Kombani drug rehabilitation centre.
“We used to save all year and still end up with just a few thousand shillings. But now, a single tender has helped us earn over a million. It’s a game-changer.”
At Mackinnon Road, Hussein Chigulu from a newly registered youth company shared similar sentiments after receiving a contract to extend a water pipeline to Vinyunduni.
“This is our first job as a company. We are earning money, supporting our families, and paying school fees,” he said.
Governor Achani called on more youth, women, and persons living with disabilities to form companies and register for tenders, saying the county government remains committed to inclusive development.
“We want everyone to get a fair chance at improving their lives. This is how we build a stronger, more equal Kwale,” she said.
Kwale County
Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani
kwale county projects
Kwale County revenue
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