The President of Kenya, Mr Mwai Kibaki has said the country's performance contracting system has proved to be an excellent means of meeting the expectations of the tax payers in service delivery as it enables the evaluation of public agencies performances annually.
Mr Kibaki said during this year recolonization of top service performers with trophies and certificates that the overriding commitment of the Government has been to improve service delivery and ensure proper utilization of the public resources.
“Towards this end, the focus of the Government has been to establish systems that will continuously reengineer public sector management, in order to meet growing public demand for better services,” the president said.
As Kenyans will appreciate, he pointed out “the performance contracting system, which was conceived in 2003, in one such system.”
The system has been blended into every aspect of the country's “development endeavors and resulted in marked improvement in the manner in which institutions manage their affairs. Indeed, the impetus provided by the performance contracting system has enabled our country to stand out in the region and continent, with visible developments in may key areas,” Mr Kibaki said.
He said the developments includes infrastructure growth, massive developments in energy generation, recovery and rehabilitation of major water towers and the tremendous progress they have made in the social sector, especially in health and education.
Cumulatively, he said “these developments have helped to reposition our country on the growth path; create competitive advantage for the country; and restore trust in the government and the dignity of the public service.”
In addition, he said the Kenyan Government has put concerted effort to forging a stronger sense of nationhood by involving the public sector and key stakeholders in major programs through Public Private Partnership. “This has been achieved, for example, through public participation in financing of public projects such as the infrastructure development bonds.”
The concept of performance contracting encompasses the core precept of accountability which, the president bequeathed the country “and leave as a legacy for prosperity.”
Said he: “As part of the commitment to accountability the government will ensure maximum probity in the management of public funds and resources,” adding, “With the new constitutional dispensation, initiatives relating to improvement of efficiency in the public service must reflect the spirit and latter of the new law.”
He elaborated that the requirement to perform to international standards should be legislated to underwrite sustenance beyond political regimes and partisan conveniences.
He urged the country's Prime Minister, Mr Raila Odinga and the Minister of State for Public Services to ensure that through the performance contracting system, public service delivery is made fully seamless. “This is the only way we can justify the stewardship of tax revenues and any further demands on our tax payers.”
He ensured Kenyans that decisive action will be taken against those who are guilty of misappropriating government funds.
“My vision is the ultimate realization of a highly effective government whose record will be defined by the quality of public service delivery in terms of accessibility, quality, timeliness, courtesy and affordability as well as entrenching the sovereignty of the citizen as our customer.”
He noted that the process of performance Contracting has continued to win international awards through constant innovation. The Performance Contracting system won the prestigious United Nation Public Service Award in 2007. In the same year, it was recognized among the top 20 innovations in transforming government by the Ash Institute of Democratic Governance at the J. F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University.
The trend continued and last year the system was the overall winner in All Africa Public Service Innovation Awards, 2010 sponsored by the Conference of African Ministers for Public Service under the auspices of the African Union. “Following this consistent international recognition, it is our duty and responsibility to ring-fence the system and ensure it is strengthened and entrenched in all public institutions.”
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