The community members of Vijiweni area in Mtongwe sub county can now move freely and without worry within the area this is after the intervention of the Department of infrastructure through Likoni sub county offices in ensuring street lights have been installed.
Mtongwe ward boasts of a population of approximately, 27,251 residents and whom 9,640 registered for electioneering voting, being the second highest populated ward within Likoni Sub County and ninth most populace in Mombasa County. Mtongwe ward residents have played key role in choosing the leadership of their ward and the county in general. Since the inception of Tuyazungumuze Community Initiative the residents of Mtongwe ward were the key targets in the implementation of the project and mainly in addressing constitutionalism, bill of rights, citizen participation, and devolution in regards to accountable leadership and quality service delivery by the County Government of Mombasa through delivering quality civic education and building capacity of citizens.
Mr. Athman Ibrahim of Vijiweni Youth Group
Over the years Mtongwe ward has been side-lined in diverse ways by the county government of Mombasa in provision of quality services to its citizens. Minimal provision of feeder roads, clean water, and quality health centres, street lights among others have affected the quality of lives of Mtongwe Citizens. This led Kwacha Afrika to identify the citizens of Mtongwe ward as a key recipient of Tuyazungumuze Community Initiative and mostly through provision of sustained civic education.
At Vijiweni youth we were privileged to receive civic education through the support of Kwacha Afrika, I can attest that since the formation of this group and as an avid member we have not been approached and made aware of the civic duties in a unique way, said Athman Ibrahim. He continued’, this year we were lucky as a group to visited by Mr. Salim who took us through the civic education training on different issues including bill of rights, devolution and importance of citizen participation on matters of development within our ward, through the sessions it came to our attention the importance of us as the the youths to start taking responsibility towards ensuring that services offered by the county government benefit the citizens of this ward. In Mtongwe ward for many years we have been experiencing issues to deal with insecurity, most of the youths especially during electioneering period have been lured by politician to cause havoc, and this has increased insecurity within the ward especially during the night. As a group we wrote a letter to the
Sub county Administrator to request for installation of street lights within the area in which the administrator obliged and worked towards providing the same. He concluded.
I have had the privilege to be a part of Tuyazungumuze community initiative from the onset. As a key stakeholder and a county government representative through the office of the Governor, I have been able to address matters raised to my office. Said Salim Kingi, Sub county administrator- Likoni Sub
Mr. Salim Kingi, Sub County Administrator Likoni Sub County.
County. He continued “Within the community I serve, there has been a lot of misconception on the roles of the county government in delivering services and communities often throw their blame to unspecified institutions hence making their issues hard to address. He said, “ For many years in Likoni sub county residents never fully participated in the budget processes through using the right platforms, but recently as Kwacha Afrika initiated the project as a sub county administrator I can attest so far citizens have of the sub county have shared their memorandums in relation CFSP, Finance Bill among other policy documents. Recently I received a letter from one youth group in vijiweni area in Mtongwe ward, whereby they were requesting for street lights within their area. Through my office, I coordinated with the department of infrastructure of Mombasa County whereby as assessment was done and new street lights have now been put to curb the level of insecurity being experienced within the ward.”
Mr Salim, alluded the fact that Kwacha Afrika through the project is currently changing perception of communities towards taking responsibility and charge of their development within their wards. He also attested to the fact that he currently finds working with the community more receptive due to the platforms created by the activities undertaken through the project.