The Kitui County Department of Agriculture and Livestock has emerged as the overall top-performing ministry in the latest performance contracting evaluation results.
The docket, headed by Dr Mbaya Kimwele, outperformed 11 other county ministries to emerge the overall winner during the third performance contracting awards ceremony held at Kitui Teachers Training College on Friday for the 2024/2025 financial year.
Every year, Governor Julius Malombe signs performance contracts with all County Executive Committee Members (CECMs), setting clear and measurable targets across all county departments. Governor Malombe awarded Kimwele and his two chief officers, Gladys Kivoto (Agriculture) and Kyambi Nzau (Livestock), a trophy and a certificate of excellence in recognition of their outstanding performance.
The independent evaluation was carried out by the Public Service Performance Management Unit under the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, to determine how the county departments performed over the past year.
Speaking after receiving a copy of the evaluation results, Governor Malombe noted that the yearly evaluations play a critical role in enhancing accountability, efficiency and results-driven service delivery within the county government.
“This initiative entrenches a culture of enhanced transparency, accountability and timely responsiveness in the public service,” Malombe said, and challenged departments to own their targets and work with integrity towards achieving them.
In the overall rankings, second position went to the Department of Basic Education, Training and Skills Development, while the Office of the Deputy Governor, Wambua Kanani—where the Department of Tourism and Wildlife is domiciled—took third position.
The last two trailing departments were Culture, Gender, Youth, ICT and Sports at position 12, while the Department of Roads, Public Works and Transport emerged second last.
The Department of Agriculture and Livestock was feted for leading a vigorous drive to empower local farmers to adopt climate-smart agriculture for improved food security, revitalising livestock cooperatives and strengthening livestock value chains.
Other initiatives that caught the evaluators’ eye include the revival of agricultural extension services to enhance farmer training and productivity, the formation and strengthening of farmer cooperatives and farmer producer organisations (FPOs), and the distribution of quality seeds and essential farm inputs.
The department was also commended for reviving the Kitui Agricultural Show and Trade Fair, in addition to establishing farmers’ savings and credit cooperatives to improve access to affordable agricultural financing.
To motivate the best performers, the governor announced that all staff in the top-ranked department will receive a salary increase equivalent to one-quarter of their basic salary in January. Staff in the second-ranked department will receive a salary raise equivalent to one-eighth of their basic salary, while those in the third category will get one-twelfth.
