NAIROBI: Public Service Performance

Wed, May 25, 2011 12:31:58 PM

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has challenged Civil Servants to live to up to the expectation that it is the organ that will determine whether Kenya takes off economically or fails.

Mr Odinga said the civil service is to a country, what the engine is to a train saying the country will certainly stall when the civil service is underperforming.

While addressing permanent secretaries and accounting officers from all government ministries at a breakfast meeting, the PM said even the Private Sector stalls when the public service is riddled with inefficiency and corruption.

The meeting was also attended by Minister for Public Service Mr Dalmas Otieno and the Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Mr Francis Muthaura.

It was called for the presentation of a report by a group of experts appointed in May 2010, to undertake a review of Performance Contracting in public service.

The Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister Dr Mohamed Isahakia, said the review was prompted by a growing feeling that often, performance contracting results do not match reality on the ground. He said that sometimes, ministries viewed by the public as performing well have been ranked low in performance contract results while those seen to be failing have come out as star performers.

Mr Odinga said service delivery has improved since the Government introduced Performance Contracting in 2005. He said efforts in Performance Contracting helped the country win the 2007 United Nations Public Service award in improving transparency and responsiveness in the Public Service. However, a lot more needs to be done.

“A country is as efficient as its public service. Everyone, including the private sector, depends on the public service. If the public service is inefficient and slow, the private sector will follow suit and the economy will not grow,” the PM said.

He said there is a disconnect between the rhetoric, what exists on paper and the reality on the ground, adding that the gap needs to be addressed.

“It is not for lack of good policies that we are struggling. It is lack of implementation. We must measure ourselves not by what we say but what you do,” the PM said.

He appealed to civil servants to embrace change instead of resisting it.

“They say a good idea must yield to a better idea, which must also give way to the best idea. That is the way to go,” he said.

 Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno asked Permanent Secretaries to be decision makers instead of involving in operational issues.

Mr Muthaura called for regular consultations between various government departments to enable the public service move as one unit.

Ends………..