Human resource Bill is a power grab and State House mischief

The Human Resource Management Bill (2024) seeks to kill the Public Service Commission. [File, Standard]

The Human Resource Management Bill (2024) is tragic mischief. Introduced before Parliament by the Ministry of Public Service, it seeks to kill the Public Service Commission (PSC).

It transfers responsibilities of PSC to Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service; that is basically to say to the President. There are many reasons for Kenyans to be worried. First, the PSC is established by Article 248(2) of the 2010 Constitution as an independent commission. It is listed together with other independent commissions like the Kenya National Human Rights and Equality Commission, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, the Parliamentary Service Commission, the Commission on Revenue Allocation, and the Judicial Service Commission. Others are the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, the Teachers Service Commission, and the National Police Service Commission. Then there are the two constitutional offices of the Auditor General, and the Controller of Budget, established by Article 248(3) of the Constitution.