Technocrats join politics as radical changes imminent in Civil Service

By Oscar Obonyo

With a couple of days before civil servants eyeing elective positions formally quit, it is emerging some of those seeking senatorial and gubernatorial seats may be opting out for fear of being victims of administrative reorganisation. 

Under the new dispensation, the Public Service Commission will advertise all key jobs, including those of permanent secretaries and vet applicants. Names of shortlisted candidates will then be handed over to the President, who will nominate and forward to Parliament for approval.

The scheduled reorganisation, which will involve public participation by way of scrutinising the candidates’ suitability, does not guarantee retention of current holders jobs.

This is thought to have persuaded some of the officers into shifting to political offices.

“Nobody knows the actual character of the administrative structure in the next Government. There will be standardisation, massive redeployment, downsizing, and even mergers of units and departments. Even more fearful is the fact that the appointing authority shall no longer be the President, but the Public Service Commission,” says Ndung’u Wainaina, executive director of the International Centre for Policy and Conflict.

Big names

Presidential hopeful and former Education PS James ole Kiyiapi leads the pack of high profile Government technocrats seeking elective positions in the General Election.

Others are Government Spokesman Alfred Mutua, who is eyeing the governor’s seat in Machakos County, and Permanent Secretaries Kenneth Lusaka (Livestock Development), who is working towards being governor of Bungoma County, and John Lonyangapuo (Public Works), who will be challenging Information Minister Samuel Poghisio for the Senate in West Pokot County.  

Owing to the devolved system of Government now being executed, power and authority will be decentralised to the 47 newly counties. Wainaina further says administrative structures, including at ministry level, will be overhauled with positions of permanent secretaries being scrapped and replaced with those of principal secretaries.

“The move by permanent secretaries, in particular, to shift to elective positions is cleverly thought out. They are doing so after calculating the power matrix – vertically and horizontally – and realising they will retain some degree of influence as governors,” says the ICPC boss.

However, Lusaka maintains his move is driven by the need to help execute the devolved programme in his Bungoma County. The PS is confident his educational background and 24-year-long experience in the civil service, mostly in the Provincial Administration, gives him a competitive edge for the governor’s job.

Impending reforms

“While I am in agreement that the impending reorganisation might be discomforting, for me the devolved system accords me the opportunity to execute what I have helped to develop, practiced, and understand,” he told The Standard.

Lusaka, who holds a Masters Degree in Public Policy and Administration from the Institute of Social Studies, The Netherlands, says his studies and recent engagements in Government have focused on formalising the ideals of a devolved system of government. Lusaka says he is best equipped to play a role in nurturing and actualising the same by serving as governor. 

For Dr Mutua, the shift towards gubernatorial positions is all about one choosing how best to make personal contribution in the new devolved arrangement.

Mutua, accordingly, wants to make a direct contribution by serving the people of Eastern.  

“This is not about power, otherwise I would stick where I am because of my direct access to real national power. But I want to literally get my hands dirty so that I can serve the people,” says the Government spokesman. 

Mutua says the position of governor is much more important as it accords one opportunity to participate directly in changing the people’s lives. And his motivation, he adds, is to transform the Machakos County.

Although Lusaka and Mutua concur the position of governor is primarily a managerial one, the process through which the right candidate is identified is political. And it is for the reason that Wainaina claims the duo and other aspiring civil servants are merely “playing politics”.

“Having worked in a centralised system, they understand too well where the real powers are now headed. And this is exactly what they are following to the counties,” says Wainaina.      

Nonetheless, the positions at the county will not be dished out to the technocrats on a silver platter. The outgoing senior Government officials will have to fight it out with the rest, including the politicians, to win over support of the electorate.

Towards this end, Lusaka, for instance, has been working with the people of Bungoma closely and has already initiated a host of development projects, which he is convinced are very beneficial to the locals.

The projects include the construction of three milk-cooling plants, a chicken slaughterhouse and a tannery for animal skins and hides. He believes these projects will in the long run expand poultry farming and the livestock sector.

“Judging by his development consciousness, accessibility to the people and administrative experience in Government, we have no doubt he is the right man for this post,” says Ben Mukhwana, a Bungoma resident.

Campaign strategy

On his part, Mutua hopes to address challenges in Machakos County by “first taking care of the 20 per cent of the problem that solves the remaining 80 percent”. In this case, he plans to first fix the water shortage headache. With this accomplished, Mutua believes other key challenges including healthcare, food production and unemployment, will automatically be sorted out.  

Although a host of PSs and other civil servants eyeing elective posts still play cards close to their chests, they are bound to come in the open soon. This follows a recent Nairobi High Court ruling to the effect that civil servants eyeing elective posts in 2013 must resign by September 4  – six months before the elections.

Former Nairobi Town Clerk Philip Kisia, who is aspiring to be the Nairobi Governor and former Education PS Kiyiapi, are the only civil servants who have already resigned.