Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has called for sweeping reforms in public sector human resource management, proposing a legal framework that directly links public servants’ promotions and career progression to measurable performance and productivity.
Mudavadi said the current approach to performance contracting must move beyond routine administrative compliance and become an enforceable mechanism for determining professional advancement, arguing that public officers should earn promotions based on merit, efficiency and demonstrable results.
“Performance contracts should not just be a ritual; they must be a legal obligation that links performance to the fair promotion of public servants,” he said.
Speaking on Monday during the National Forum of County Public Service Boards Annual Convention in Kisumu, Mudavadi challenged public service institutions to rethink how employee performance is evaluated, insisting that career advancement should reflect actual contributions to service delivery rather than administrative procedures or length of service alone.
He maintained that a properly institutionalised performance management framework would strengthen accountability, improve employee motivation and cultivate a results-oriented culture across national and county government institutions.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary called for objective and transparent employee appraisal systems anchored on clearly defined targets and measurable outcomes, warning against performance management processes that fail to translate into tangible improvements in institutional efficiency.
He further emphasised the principle of Usawa ni Sawa, saying all public servants should enjoy equal opportunities for professional growth, with promotions determined by competence, commitment and productivity.
His remarks place renewed focus on the longstanding challenge of aligning public sector career progression with performance and the quality of services delivered to citizens, particularly within devolved units where human resource management remains central to the implementation of development programmes.
Mudavadi also tasked County Public Service Boards with strengthening merit-based recruitment, promoting fairness in staff management and establishing institutional environments that encourage innovation, professional development and excellence.
He reminded the boards of their constitutional mandate in ensuring county governments maintain competent, accountable and professional workforces capable of translating development priorities into effective public services.
Beyond human resource management, Mudavadi argued that the success of devolution should not be judged merely by the establishment of county institutions but by their ability to deliver quality, accessible and responsive services to the public.
He called for closer collaboration between the national and county governments to strengthen institutional capacity, improve workforce management and ensure public resources are utilised efficiently.
The proposed linkage between performance and career advancement, if translated into law and effectively implemented, could mark a significant shift in public sector management by making productivity and service delivery central considerations in promotion decisions.
However, the effectiveness of such a framework would depend on transparent assessment criteria, consistent implementation and safeguards against favouritism, discrimination and manipulation of performance evaluations.
The National Forum of County Public Service Boards Annual Convention brings together representatives from all 47 counties and other stakeholders to deliberate on human resource management, institutional capacity, employee performance and productivity in devolved governments.
