The Public Service Commission (PSC) has successfully concluded a three-day consultative visits with Human Resource (HR) Directors and Heads of HR Management and Development from across State Departments. The engagement, held in Nairobi at the respective offices of the State Departments between 21st and 23rd July 2025, aimed at strengthening collaboration between the Commission and HR practitioners to enhance efficiency, compliance, and service delivery in the public sector.
The forum provided a platform to review the implementation of key HR policies and frameworks, including the PSC Rewards and Sanctions Framework, performance management systems, and the enforcement of Commission decisions such as appointments, promotions, secondments, and disciplinary actions.
Speaking during a session with the State Department for Basic Education, PSC Vice Chairperson Mary Kimonye emphasized the Commission’s resolve to ensure full compliance with its guidelines and decisions. She noted that effective implementation of HR instruments is critical to achieving a professional, accountable, and performance-driven public service.
“We are committed to working closely with HR officers to ensure that Commission directives are not only understood but implemented in a timely and consistent manner. This is essential in safeguarding the rights of public officers and delivering quality services to Kenyans,” said Mrs. Kimonye.
The Principal Secretary for the State Department for Basic Education, Prof. Julius Bitok, lauded the Commission for its continuous support and regular engagement with stakeholders to collaboratively resolve HR issues.
“Human resource is the backbone of any institution, and coming together to find solutions to the challenges we face is commendable. Let’s keep working together to ensure efficient and effective public service,” said PS Bitok.
The forum also addressed challenges faced by HR practitioners in executing their mandates and explored opportunities for capacity building, digital HR systems, and collaboration on data management and privacy.
Additionally, the Commission used the opportunity to reinforce its recent policy shift requiring performance-based appraisals for all HR Directors in Ministries and State Departments. This new move, spearheaded by Vice Chairperson Kimonye, seeks to ensure timely and effective implementation of PSC directives and curb delays that often disadvantage deserving officers.
Some of the State Departments visited by the PSC Commissioners include: Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs, Medical Services, Public Health, and Correctional Services.
The consultative forum aligns with PSC’s strategic objective to foster professionalism and enhance human resource governance across the public sector.
Other PSC Commissioners involved in the visits were: Dr. Irene Asienga, Dr. Francis Otieno, Francis Meja, Joan Machayo, Boya Molu, Harun Hassan, and Mwanamaka Mabruki, accompanied by staff from the Commission Secretariat.