Reform public sector to improve services

Management science is vastly underrated in Kenya. Consider a caricature (not far from reality) of the typical government office. It typically has one autocrat – the boss, who oversees everything, from where the tea and flasks are bought, to who gets what share of bribes. Replicated in almost every office, these autocrats serve as choke points to service delivery. Their demands that everything pass through them ensure that nothing gets done. It does not help that they are rarely in the office.

It is common knowledge that our public sector has seen better days. But so far, no one has been willing to implement the solutions that might actually work. Instead, senior public officials keep exhorting our public servants to be better people – less corrupt and more diligent.