State departments should work together

Disparity in the way Government departments work has impacted negatively on service delivery and is slowing down a number of things.

While the constitutional requirement that ministers be appointed from outside Parliament was expected to improve efficiency and service delivery, the benefits are yet to be seen because a number of Government arms are still working at cross purposes.

This leaves questions marks as to whether it was necessary to appoint cabinet secretaries from academia, the private sector and civil service.

Some ministries have been controverting their charges. Some of those that come mind include the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology, Education and Lands, Housing and Urban Development.

For a long time, the National Land Commission (NLC) has been at odds with its parent ministry. The same can be said about the Teachers' Service Commission (TSC) whose apparent lack of a cohesive working relationship with the Ministry of Education, was out for all to see during the teachers' strike that lasted two weeks.

The disconnect between NLC and its parent ministry made it easy for land grabbers to exploit the situation and have free reign. Grabbing of the Lang'ata Road Primary School playground comes to mind when one mentions a few extreme situations that would have been avoided if the working relationships between State departments were harmonious.

In the US and other countries where government and its charges seem to work flawlessly, it has taken focus and resolve for the culture to stick and function.

As debate rages over the teachers' strike, withdrawal of the digital broadcasting licence awarded to the African Digital Network, a consortium jointly owned by Royal Media Services, the Nation Media Group and the Standard Group by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) and land grabbing, we should not forget that some of these things would not happen in a seamless system of governance.

We hope ministries will prepare and set up their systems in ways that make working with each other more productive.