The Deputy Chief of Staff in the Executive Office of the President, Performance and Delivery Management, Eliud Owalo, has announced a new approach to performance management in government organizations, emphasizing accountability and efficiency.
The initiative is in response to growing concerns over some underperforming government agencies and the negative impact this has on the nation’s development.
Speaking during a performance evaluation exercise at the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) headquarters in Mombasa, Mr. Owalo stated that a comprehensive legal framework would soon be in place to ensure that all public institutions justify their existence and meet their mandates effectively.
He was accompanied by the Performance Unit Principal Administrative Secretary Mr. Joshua Mwiranga, and officials from the Government Delivery Unit in the Coast region.
According to Mr. Owalo, the draft Performance Management Bill will require that government organizations demonstrate tangible results in line with their specific mandates. The Bill, once enacted into law, will hold entities accountable by making performance appraisals legally enforceable.
“Organizations must justify their existence in line with their mandate. To augment this process, we are going to anchor performance evaluation and performance management into law,” Mr. Owalo emphasized. “We already have a draft Bill, The Performance Management Bill, which will soon be getting its way into Parliament for the necessary processes towards becoming the Performance Management Act. This will ensure that the results of performance appraisal are legally enforceable.”
Mr. Owalo said that the new law would create a robust framework for monitoring the efficiency of public institutions, with performance reviews becoming an essential part of the accountability process.
Under the proposed legislation, a reward and sanction regime will be instituted, aiming to incentivize high-performing organizations while allowing underperforming ones to “die naturally.”
“We don’t want a situation where certain organizations don’t deliver on their mandate, and it negatively impacts the performance of other organizations,” Mr. Owalo said. “The system will ensure that any agency failing to meet its objectives will face consequences, while high-performing entities will be recognized and rewarded.”
Mr. Owalo was responding to concerns raised by the KPA Chairperson, Mr. Benjamin Tayari, and KPA Managing Director, Capt. William Ruto, who proposed new criteria of performance evaluation that would consider external factors that affect delivery.
The two called for arrangements that would ensure seamless operations in a multi-agency approach.
“Most of the issues affecting us, especially in operations, stem from other stakeholders and government agencies that we are supposed to work with. If we can establish a seamless operation with these agencies, many of the performance challenges we face won’t exist,” KPA Chairperson, Mr. Tayari said.
His sentiments were echoed by the MD, Capt. Ruto.
“We have other agencies that are supposed to support us, but they can sometimes derail our operations. We recommend that, moving forward, the evaluation criteria should be adjusted to capture issues that are outside our control. For instance, while the truck turnaround time is supposed to be three hours, delays can occur when trucks arrive and other agencies need to handle the goods, and there are issues such as non-functioning scanners. Our evaluations focus on the actual results, rather than these external factors. Therefore, we would like to see future evaluations consider the commitment of these institutions and the external factors that also affect our performance,” Capt. Ruto said.
A key feature of the proposed new performance management structure will be the introduction of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between government agencies. This will be particularly important for organizations that operate within shared spaces or rely on each other to meet national objectives.
For example, the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), which oversees a range of port operations, will be expected to establish clear SLAs with other government agencies that interact with the port infrastructure, ensuring timely and effective service delivery.
Mr. Owalo said that the creation of SLAs will provide a clear framework for accountability and will help reduce inefficiencies caused by a lack of coordination between different agencies. By holding each entity accountable for its specific duties, the government hopes to create a more cohesive and productive public sector.
“Moving forward, we will ensure that we have service level agreements between Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and other sister organizations which are also involved in the operations of the port so that each organization meets its obligations within the stipulated timelines. We will ensure that where we have a multiplicity of players in terms of government agencies, these government agencies will have to enter into service level agreements. This will facilitate efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery so that each entity is committed to meeting timelines,” Mr. Owalo said.
KPA operates the Port of Mombasa, Port of Lamu, Kisumu Port, and several inland container depots, including those in Nairobi, Naivasha, Kisumu, and Eldoret.
Additionally, KPA provides ferry services along the Likoni and Mtongwe channels between Mombasa Island and Mainland South.
The Performance Management Bill is expected to be a landmark piece of legislation in Kenya’s ongoing efforts to improve governance and service delivery.
By holding government agencies to higher standards, the Bill, once enacted into law, will not only enhance the efficiency of individual institutions but also contribute to a broader culture of accountability in the public sector.
