Effectiveness of performance management systems in an organisation is normally affected by many factors but three are most important.
First, the system needs to be aligned with and is supported by the organizational direction and critical success factors.
Then, well developed, efficiently administered tools and processes are needed to make the system user-friendly and well received by organizational members.
Lastly, the managers and members must use the system in a manner that brings visible, value-added benefits in the area of performance planning, performance development, feedback and achievement of results.
After the death of Joseph Ole Nkaissery on 8 July 2017, Fred Matiangi was appointed in acting capacity as the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government.
He is undoubtedly one of the president’s most trusted men and was given this post courtesy of his track record as a ‘fix-it man’ for the president in terms of getting things done.
This was as a result of his tenure at the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology in which he ensured that the country had gone through the phase of digital migration despite protest from broadcasters and controversies surrounding the award of frequencies and tenders of the same.
The launch of the Trust Fund by the Cabinet Secretary Interior and Coordination that will oversee the implementation of an institutional framework of addressing the welfare of the surviving families of departed law enforcement officers.
Matiang’i said this is part of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s desire to accord genuine recognition and appreciation to the honourable services and selfless sacrifices of police officers.
In this view, the Trust Fund will be unveiled and a Secretariat operationalized to start institutionalizing this agenda soonest.
“We are under firms instructions from H.E. the President that before the end of January [2021], we open the new ultra-modern facility we have established at the Police Headquarters that will begin an institutionalized way of looking at aspects of welfare like how we pay gratuity and pension benefits to our police officers, even when they exit through natural attrition.” Matiangi said.
In line with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive on Jamhuri Day, 2020, the Huduma Card was launched by Cabinet Secretaries Matiang’i and Joe Mucheru in Kiambu and Machakos Counties, respectively.
He elaborated the President’s vision in establishing the Huduma Namba. “It has been a long journey.
The realization of the Huduma Card is the strongest testament about the leadership of our President and his commitment to liberate this country from the slavery of poor service. This service is revolutionary that is why it is called a Huduma Card.”
It followed the fulfilment of the requisite requirements, including the recent appointment and swearing-in of the Data Commissioner, Immaculate Kassait.
This milestone marked the beginning of a phased, nationwide roll-out starting the 1st of December, 2020.
Given the COVID-19 prevention and control protocols, citizens will be notified via SMS on when and where to pick their cards. Individuals will have a month from the date of notification to collect their cards.
Kenyans will be glad to note that the process of distribution of the cards will continue for a year in line with the period provided for in the law.
“There is an enemy called the file which we are trying to get rid of in public service. The days of lost files, long queues and wastage of time instead of providing efficient service to citizens will be a thing of the past” said Matiang’i.
The government has remained non-compromising on the standards and quality of driver training and testing in the country launching the Usalama Barabarani Programme.
He sent a strong statement about GoK’s intentions of transforming the bodaboda sub-sector into a respectable investment, telling off leaders who have been politicizing the drive for selfish interests.
“We are working on a new framework of engaging the motorcycle dealers after which we will begin a very active process of supporting the thousands of young Kenyans who rely on the sub-sector as a source of income. We are not politicians who don’t care about them, they should stay alive to look after their families,” Dr Matiang’i said.
The Cabinet Secretary dismissed the narrative propagated by some politicians that the government is victimizing the operators, adding that more efforts and resources will be channelled into training them on responsible road use as part of the long-term interventions towards establishing a safe road transport system.
He had announced the all-clear for NTSA and other law enforcement agencies to expedite the re-validation of all driving schools across the country to tame backstreet driving schools that have significantly contributed to the upsurge in road accidents in the recent past.
“We must complete the exercise by January 1, 2021, which means we must all move towards the new standards of service provision,” he said.
The exercise, which was launched in mid-2019 to establish the compliance levels of the institutions to the provisions and requirements for driving school registration, was slowed down by a court case.
Furthermore, Fred Matiang’i deployed a Special Crimes Prevention team to tame the rising cases of livestock theft and other serious crimes, including murder in Nyandarua County.
“Nyandarua is one of the leading counties in dairy farming yet farmers cannot sleep in peace. What is happening here is not cattle-rustling but systematic crime supported and funded by some individuals benefiting from the trend. The team will be embedded here until we get hold of the last criminal,” he said.
He challenged the county security team and chiefs to support the operation and step it up a gear to end the issue once and for all.
The launch of the second wave of crackdowns on drugs and second-generation brews in the Mt. Kenya regions of Murang’a and Kiambu Counties by the government in support of the Interior Cabinet Secretary CS Fred Matiang’i.
According to Matiang’i, the initial crackdown which focused more on the consumers, the second one will go after the dealers, suppliers and anyone else who’s been aiding and abetting the illegal trade.
“We want to target the dealers to ensure that this trend does not reoccur. We shall crack on this thing with such ruthlessness that it’ll come to an end. Through thorough investigations, we have been able to find out the people involved with the bhang that is consumed in Murang’a and Thika. We shall arrest and prosecute those who are culpable.”
The government is progressively phasing out the old ordinary passports as part of Kenya’s commitment to migrate to the new-generation e-passport under ICAO specifications.
However, we note with concern that 1.8 million Kenyans, mostly in the diaspora, are yet to replace their old passports with the East African Community biometric e-passport.
Due to this, the government hereby extends the deadline for voiding the current dark blue machine-readable passport by 12 months. As such, its holders may continue using it until March 1, 2021, when it will no longer be valid for travelling.
To rationalize the issuance of this travel document, the government has since set up and operationalized four passport control centres in Nakuru, Kisii, Eldoret and Embu, and six others in the diaspora, three in Europe (Berlin, Paris and London), one in the U.S. (Washington DC), another in Johannesburg, South Africa, and one more in Dubai.
Plans are also underway to achieve same-day issuance of passports by July 1, 2020.
The government took reforms to the Private Security Sector. No private security firm will be allowed to operate in the country as from April 1, 2020, without demonstrating full compliance with Kenya’s tax obligations and the service standards that are set to be gazetted by the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA).
Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiangi said this is the first steps towards reforming and regulating the sector that holds great but yet untapped potential in complementing the provision of security services in the country.
He added that it is important to see to it that the private security sector grows into a respected industry attractive to a skilled workforce.
“A lot of our young people are ready and willing to provide security services in our country. The private security sector is one of the areas we want to grow, professionalize and standardize,” the Cabinet Secretary said.
Furthermore, the National Land Commission (NLC) launched the County Spatial Planning Annex and tool kits guidelines that aimed at ensuring proper land use planning to enable counties to realise improved food security and livelihoods.
Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Hussein Dado said that Arid and Semi-arid Lands (ASAL) occupies about 73 per cent of the country’s landmass and was home to 36 per cent of the country’s population, close to 70 per cent livestock and about 90 per cent wildlife hence the need to involve locals from these areas.
“For that reason, during land-use planning, the ministry needs to involve locals from ASAL areas such as pastoralists. Such people are knowledgeable about these areas. They tend to know vector-borne diseases and where to drill wells,” said Hussein Dado.
He revealed that the ministry’s main challenge was how to protect and support pastoralists in CSP and urged development partners to support CSP.
“My ministry will ensure robust monitoring and evaluation of this initiative and support counties in preparing and implementing County Spatial Plans. This can be achieved through consulted land-use planning efforts. I urge the counties to use these tools effectively,” said Dado.
Despite the sterling achievements, some self-proclaimed, the CS has a dark cloud hanging over his legacy.
He has been on the spotlight after allegedly being accused of overseeing a project which saw taxpayers lose money.
Two parcels of land located at Drive-In Primary School and Ruaraka High School were purchased during Matiang’i’s tenure as Education CS.
The National Land Commission responded to the Ministry of Education via a letter dated April 24, 2017, requesting it to set aside funds amounting to Ksh 3,269,040,600 inclusive of the 15 per cent statutory disturbance allowance. Kshs 1.5 Billion was for compensation for the schools’ land.
The purchase order also circumvented a court order issued on December 13, 2016, filed by activist Okiya Omtatah Okoiti which prohibited the National Land Commission and other government bodies from making further payments to the two companies.
“Matiangi’s order to purchase the land was the one that set all the necessary motion for the taxpayers to lose Kshs. 1.5 Billion money that would have been used to realize the socio-economic rights most Kenyans lack,” Dennis Itumbi stated.