GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 50

KITUI COUNTY PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD REPORT ON THE EXTENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE NATIONAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES IN THE KITUI COUNTY PUBLIC SERVICE CHAPTER ONE THE EXTENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH VALUES AND PRINCIPLES Preamble This Chapter enumerates the activities that demonstrate the extent to which the values and principles referred to in Articles 10 and 232 are complied with in the County public Service. It also explains the actions taken by the Board in the promotion of the specific values and principles. THE EXTENT OF COMPLIANCE 1.1 ARTICLE 10: NATIONAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNANCE (a) Patriotism, National Unity, Sharing and Devolution of Power, the Rule of Law, Democracy and Participation of the People Situational Analysis The County Government has been unable to meet the 30% requirement on ethnic minority which is meant to enhance National unity. This has been due to the region being a hardship area and as a result not attractive to job seekers from other parts of Kenya. Political ethnic profiling has also contributed to people being inclined to serve in their ethnic backyards. Action Taken The Board has been advertising all open vacancies through at least two high circulating newspapers while also posting the same in the Government website. The County Government has continued making the working environment through improving the general infrastructure. The Board continues to advocate for patriotism and as a result, County colours and symbols are incorporated in all official County documents, information, education and communication materials, projects’ branding and painting of County Government buildings. The County Government continues to participate in national holidays while THE KENYA GAZETTE 3rd January, 2020 32 32 ensuring that County offices have portraits of the President of the Republic of Kenya. The Board has, and continues to draw the attention of the County employees to the documents uploaded on the County website which include the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and other relevant laws and regulations. Democracy and participation of the people has been and continues to be realised through policy formulation forums; the education forums, public participation on County Budget and Finance Bill and other stakeholder consultative meetings on development which are highly publicised. The County Government has continued to collaborate with the National Government officials especially the provincial administration to bridge the public participation gap. (b) Human Dignity, Equity, Social Justice, Inclusiveness, Equality, Human Rights, Non-discrimination and Protection of the Marginalized Situational Analysis Review on the compliance regarding human dignity, equity, social justice, inclusiveness, equality, human rights, non-discrimination and protection of the marginalized was done during the 2019 Calendar year. It was established that social amenities within the County Government offices were still deficient. Some ablution blocks are lacking gender labels. Analysis of the composition of the County public service was done. It was established that the legal requirements for youth and gender in appointments had been met; however, there is still need for resolute effort to address the requirements for persons with disability, and the marginalized. Action Taken The County Government continued the construction of more ablution blocks in public places like markets, schools, offices and bus parks and created awareness to the general public to construct pit latrines in their homes in an effort to ensure that Kitui County is open defecation free and to promote human dignity. The Board is fully committed to continuous monitoring of compliance to ensure that the ratio of male to female employees remain within the constitutional threshold. The Board has enhanced the methods of advertising for job vacancies, including use of County Website, social platforms and distributing copies of the adverts through County Administration (Ward and Village Administrators) to ensure that more potential applicants from all regions get the information and in good time. Affirmative action is being undertaken to address the disadvantaged groups such as minority ethnic communities in the County, (e.g. the Tharaka, Arab, Somali, Muslim) persons with disabilities, youth and women. The County Government remains committed to the representation of Kenya’s diverse ethnic communities in the County public service as evidenced in the appointments and promotions undertaken during the period under review. The County Government of Kitui launched Kitui County Health Insurance Cover (K-CHIC) on 21st August, 2018. The scheme was launched to provide quality and affordable health care to households in Kitui. The insurance covers medical bills, ambulance charges and mortuary fee for all residents of Kitui County. The program has relieved residents from colossal hospital bills that often lead to detention of patients in public and private hospitals. This goes a long way towards improving human dignity. The County is mainstreaming HIV/AIDS, gender and disability in implementing various policies as can be reflected in the segmentation of County contracts and also in appointments. The County Government is working with development partners and faith based organizations such as Centre for Health Solutions and Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK) to address HIV/AIDS among other health care issues. The County Government has continued to prioritise projects on water such as drilling of bore holes, construction/De- silting of earth and sand dams as well as water reservoirs to ensure that County residents, especially those in arid and marginalised regions, have access to portable water for drinking and other purposes. (c) Good Governance, Integrity, Transparency and Accountability Situational Analysis The County Government is going through strained financial resources where development projects require to be given a priority. This therefore require that savings be made from recurrent expenditures such as salaries, travel and daily subsistence allowances. Action Taken The County Government has participated in discussions and workshops led by the National Government on transforming the economy through a fiscally sustainable public wage bill. The County Government introduced a number of austerity measures on recurrent expenditures. Any travel within the Country or outside has to be objective and properly accounted for. The County Government is also undertaking a rationalisation process to ensure that employees are properly utilised to fill available gaps in the county public service before considering fresh recruitment. In order to enhance transparency and accountability, each Government project goes through the process of public participation to ensure involvement of the people in development issues. (d) Sustainable Development Situational analysis Kitui County Integrated Development Plan (KCIDP), which highlights the development needs of the County, has continuously guided the County development projects. The development projects contained in this document have been evaluated based on their sustainability. As a result, the projects initiated are considered viable and sustainable. Action Taken The County Government continues to implement projects in compliance with the KCIDP which is modelled on the Kenya Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The County Public Service Board has successfully continued to provide the human resource necessary for the implementation of planned activities. Food and water, health, education, youth and women empowerment and wealth creation are the five pillars of H.E the Governor’s manifesto meant to not only spur the growth of the County economy but also improve the citizens’ livelihoods. The County Government of Kitui through the County Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Livestock Development has invested heavily in supporting small scale agricultural programs dubbed ‘Mianda Irrigation’ scheme where farmers are supported through provision of seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, solar generators and agricultural extension officers who offer technical knowhow to the farmers. The County Government launched mass Artificial Insemination program (AI) in January 2019 to improve the quality of livestock breeds both for dairy and beef for the citizenry. The aim of the initiative was to produce a superior breed of livestock leading to increased milk and meat production therefore, growing income for livestock keeping households. The County Government of Kitui has also focused on training beekeepers on honey production and profitable beekeeping practices to enable farmers benefit from services that can help them achieve higher yields and income. The initiative is also focused on commercializing beekeeping for sustainable livelihoods in line with the wealth creation agenda. The County Government has established Kitui County Textile Centre (KICOTEC); the first ever garment factory by a County Government in Kenya. The facility has employed over 300 youths from the County. The factory targets income from local and national productions that will play a key role in boosting the economy. The gains from KICOTEC will support other services of the county like provision of clean water, affordable healthcare and education. The County Government has established an amenity ward and outpatient department at the Kitui County Referral Hospital. This has resulted in provision of quality healthcare to Kitui residents. Improved services and increased revenue collection have also been witnessed. Acquisition of ultra-modern ambulances has boosted movement of patients from rural areas to nearest health facilities. 3rd January, 2020 THE KENYA GAZETTE 1.2 ARTICLE 232: VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC SERVICE (a) High Standards of Professional Ethics Situational Analysis Standards of professional ethics were evaluated on the basis of code of conduct and ethics for officers in the public service; training for skills development; membership to professional bodies and declaration of income, assets and liabilities. There was moderate compliance with professional ethics following continuous sensitization workshops and staff training. Action Taken Sensitization programmes on values and principles aimed at creating awareness, development of teamwork, improvement of service delivery and overall culture change in the County public service were undertaken. To increase access to knowledge on the officers’ professionalism, the Board has been drawing the attention of the County Government employees to the relevant legislations and laws which have been uploaded to the County website. The Board undertook suitability tests and continues to do the same for various cadres for proper placement of staff and quality service delivery. Long term training approvals for officers working in the County ministries were granted in order to ensure competence and provide employee motivation in the performance of their duties. Various trainings have been held in the County including induction of staff, training on the filling of Asset Declaration forms, training on performance appraisal, customer care/public relations among others. (b) Responsive, Prompt, Effective, Impartial and Equitable Provision of Services Situation Analysis The Board established that service delivery had not reached satisfactory standards as a result of slow integration of officers having been drawn from diverse organizational culture and work ethics. Action Taken The Board has been undertaking sensitization workshops on values and principles of public service aimed at transformative leadership, development of teamwork and improvement of service delivery and overall culture change in the public service. The Board has incorporated questions which gauge attitude in the interview tools of various cadres so as to ensure that the County public service is composed of employees with the right attitude for effective service delivery. County Ministries/Departments have been encouraged to hold regular management and staff meetings to enhance effectiveness and teamwork in the provision of public services. The County Government has continued the use of Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), where all financial transactions, including procurement, are processed. This has enhanced the speed of service delivery. The County Government through the ministries of Health and Sanitation and Agriculture, Water and Livestock Development has procured more ambulances and tractors respectively to serve the citizens better. The Board undertakes mystery shopping to assess the quality of services offered by the county public service. (c) Fair Competition and Merit as the Basis of Appointments and Promotions Situational Analysis Appointments, promotions and trainings were and continue to be guided by meritocracy and fair competition. They are also guided by other legal provisions such as the need to include communities not adequately represented in appointments or promotions in the public service, the gender balance and inclusivity of persons with disabilities. Action Taken As at 30th November, 2019, the County Public Service Board had employed a total of 29 female officers representing 38% of the total staff appointed. The male appointed officers were 47, representing 62%. The Board has enhanced its recruitment process to adequately capture data on persons with disability. The Board continues to encourage them to apply for advertised positions, and also register with the association for persons with disability. The Board has made 22 appointments from outside Kitui County. Meritocracy continues to be the guiding principle in the recruitment process and applicants are accorded equal opportunity. All the officers due for promotion based on the provisions of various schemes of service were promoted. CHAPTER TWO IMPEDIMENTS IN THE PROMOTION OF VALUES AND PRINCIPLES The Board encountered various challenges in ensuring that values and principles were upheld. These included: (a) Kitui County has low internet connectivity, making the officers especially those working outside the County Headquarters unable to effectively communicate and access internet. (b) Insufficient public awareness on the role of citizens in governance and therefore low citizen participation in development issues. (c) Inadequate knowledge on the constitutional provisions on devolution and other relevant legislations among public officers. (d) Inadequate budgetary allocation to enhance the promotion of values and principles. (e) Officers from outside the County requesting for inter-county transfers and declining positions in Kitui owing to the vastness of the county, semi-arid climate, insecurity, the difficult terrain thus defeating efforts towards patriotism, national unity and inclusiveness. (f) Persons with disabilities and other special groups not applying for positions in the County while those that apply fail to indicate their status. Many officers and candidates with disabilities are yet to register with the relevant body. CHAPTER THREE PLANNED PROGRAMS IN UNDERTAKING PROMOTION OF VALUES AND PRINCIPLES 1. Develop, produce and distribute more information, education and communication material on values and principles in Kitui County. 2. Sensitization workshops on values and principles. 3. Induct new staff with regard to values and principles. 4. Monitor compliance with the values and principles. 5. Advise the County Government on its obligations under international treaties and conventions on need basis. 6. Recruit the required personnel for the full implementation of KCIDP; and 7. Advocate and lead in the finalization of staff establishment to ensure that any recruitment is within optimal staffing level. CHAPTER FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS The Board recommendations are as follows— (a) Partnering with the County Assembly for public awareness creation on the role of citizens in governance and the need for full participation in development agenda and activities and employment creation. (b) Establishment of village councils to bolster public participation/ Involvement of the people. (c) Creation of an enabling environment for the exploitation of natural resources to create jobs for Kitui County residents. (d) Observation of OSHA guidelines in public offices. (e) Provision of adequate budgetary allocation to carry out activities that enhance promotion of values and principles in the County public service. THE KENYA GAZETTE 3rd January, 2020 34 34 (f) Establishing points for county public services at Huduma Centre. (g) Creation of a County gateway at eCitizen portal for County services. (h) Establishment of Public Service Centres at every Sub-county headquarter. (i) Decentralization of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities for easy access of its services. CONCLUSION The County public service registered substantial levels of compliance with the values and principles referred to in Articles 10 and 232 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010. However, there is still room for improvement in order to ensure that citizens of Kitui County fully benefit from the gains envisaged by the Constitution of Kenya 2010. The Board appreciates the cooperation accorded by the office of the Governor, the office of the County Secretary, County Ministries/Departments and Sub-county Administration during evaluation of the extent to which values and principles have been complied with in Kitui County Public Service. Further, the Board appreciates the members of the Kitui County Assembly for the oversight role and the advice given periodically on ensuring compliance with the values and principles. Dated the 2nd December, 2019. J. M. MUTHENGI, MR/0455033 Board Secretary, Kitui County Public Service Board.