Sh40 billion plan to reform public sector

Acting Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani (second right), Public Service Commission Chairman Stephen Kirogo (right), Deputy Chairperson Charity Kisotu (second left) and Commissioner Salma Ahmed display the PSC Strategic Plan booklet during the launch in Nairobi yesterday. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The Government will require more than Sh40 billion to reorganise its bloated public service to make it more lean and efficient.

The radical restructuring will include putting public servants on performance contract and hiring of more than 400 Public Service Commission (PSC) staff.

PSC, in its new strategic plan for 2019-24, seeks to expand and realign its staff for effective service delivery.

This comes as records show that as at June 2019, the commission had a total of 223 staff representing 51.4 per cent of the “optimal” requirement.

"The commission will therefore progressively fill the vacant posts over the next four years from 223 to 434 by the 2023/24 financial year for effective implementation of the strategy,” the roadmap reads.

Speaking at the launch yesterday, PSC Chairman Stephen Kirogo said non-performing and corrupt public officials have their days numbered following its move to implement new measures to improve performance.

He said the new plan aims at improving performance as well as cut out unethical behaviour in the public sector.

“This strategic plan will be on promoting values and ethical conduct, entrenching a high performance culture through an effective citizen feedback relationship,” Mr Kirogo said.

The commission, he said, is set to channel its resources towards the setting up of effective structures for dealing with performance-related issues by undertaking regular performance reviews, rolling out of effective performance contracts as well as implementation of performance-based rewards and sanctions.

PSC Chief Executive Simon Rotich said they will entrench a citizen-centric public service in Government by hosting a contact centre for instant feedback on quality of service.

"The supporting strategy towards these aspirations include a review of the performance management system, as well as decentralisation of commission services,” he said.

However, he pointed out that effective implementation required substantial financial and other resources.

According to the roadmap, the commission requires at least Sh39.7 billion to realise its mandate.  

Acting Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani said the State was committed to implementing new austerity measures that will see Government ministries effectively utilise the available resources.