No walk in the park for civil servants eyeing promotion

Lilian Kimetto (left), Director of Communications at Authority receives a certificate from Outward Bound Trust of Kenya Chief Executive Officer Michael Yugi after completing the module on experiential training at Outward Bound Mountain School in Kajiado County. [Michael Chepkwony, Standard]

Hundreds of kilometres away from their posh offices, top officials in national and county governments endure the cold weather at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro in Oloitoktok, Kajiado County.

The officials go to Outward Bound Mountain School for compulsory training on leadership development programme through the experiential approach. The programme includes activities like wall-scaling.

More than 700 senior civil servants have undergone the training with the latest being 160 employees from Coast and Nairobi, says Outward Bound Trust of Kenya Chief Executive Officer Michael Yugi.

The last two weeks have seen officials from Baringo and Embu counties undergo the programme at the institution established in 1952.

“They are from both levels of governments and include directors, deputy directors, county chief officers and other high-level staff,” Mr Yugi explains.

The training is organised and facilitated by the Kenya School of Government (KSG) and its 45 management officials also took part in the exercise in July. KSG Director-General Ludeki Chweya says the training is compulsory for civil servants.

“In the past, it was optional but now it is mandatory. We need to instill better leadership values in our society and through this training, we can realise that,” Prof Chweya says.

Outward Bound Trust of Kenya director David ole Kurao notes that that they host employees from the public and private sectors and so far this year they have trained 2,000 officials.

“Civil servants mostly go through the training because of promotions. They need to appreciate the trainings instead of their usual outings to Mombasa beaches and other places,” Mr Kurao says.

He notes that the private sector has embraced the programme unlike State organisations, saying the former have realised the significance of the exercise.

The director regrets that leadership in the country is riddled with corruption and other forms of mismanagement.

“We have abandoned patriotism because of our selfish pursuits. Tanzania might be lurking behind in economic development, but we cannot compare when it comes to their pride of their nation and the interest to safeguard it against evils of corruption and tribalism,” Kurao states.

Stretch to the limit

Yugi notes that the non-conventional, environment-based approach was a continuation of a senior leadership development programme where four modules have been covered.

Partakers stretch the leaders to the limit where their endurance can be tested, and lessons learnt for application in a purpose-driven leadership. “The module touches on nationalism, patriotism and every aspect that instills national values. The major part of the training is change-driven approach,” the CEO says adding that respected leaders such as the late Kenneth Matiba went through the institution.

The nature of training is also drawn from study of the environment within the forested 30-acre parcel of land where the institution sits.

“Everything is a metaphor. We move you out of your usual bound and take you to the basics. You forget your title and influence and learn with all participants on an equal platform,” Yugi explains.

“When participants are climbing the mountain, you reflect on the mountains of life that you go through in your leadership experience.”

Lilian Kimetto, class president for Nairobi says the programme instilled in them values of good governance, transformative leadership and cohesion. “We have had our skills on critical thinking, crisis handling and group sharpened,” says Ms Kimetto, who is ICT Authority director of communication, says.

For CPA Fredrick Musungu, team leader Coast region, the exercise was experiential as it pushed them from their comfort zones. “We shared experiences on decision making. We interrogated how we can utilise resources and link every decision to our organisations,” he says.