County adopts performance contracts to better services
What you need to know:
- Areas targeted by the contracts include agriculture, health, education and infrastructure development. Those in charge of staff welfare will also have to put in more effort.
- Mr Irungu, who spoke in Nanyuki Town, said the various targets set for government departments are meant to ensure that those with various responsibilities deliver.
- The signing of the contracts came a month after county workers went on a two-day strike demanding arrears and recognition of their union.
Laikipia became the first county government to embrace the performance contract system of service delivery.
Tuesday, all executive committee members signed performance contracts with Governor Joshua Irungu.
“We are doing this so we can realise our develop objectives as a county, through improvement of service delivery to our people,” Mr Irungu said.
Areas targeted by the contracts include agriculture, health, education and infrastructure development. Those in charge of staff welfare will also have to put in more effort.
On agriculture, he said: “We want to ensure dairy farmers access markets for their products. We will provide them with milk coolers to reduce wastage. We already have three coolers and we are putting up another two.”
Farmers will also benefit from provision of subsidised fertilisers, hybrid seeds and production of hay. About 1,000 acres will also be put under irrigation
VARIOUS TARGETS
Mr Irungu, who spoke in Nanyuki Town, said the various targets set for government departments are meant to ensure that those with various responsibilities deliver.
“We want to improve the performance of public officers, which should translate into better services to our people. In particular, we want to make sure our people are able to meet their basic needs,” the county boss said.
The signing of the contracts came a month after county workers went on a two-day strike demanding arrears and recognition of their union.
The governor assured the workers of their welfare, saying, his government is looking into the issues they raised.
“However, some of their demands are not attainable at the moment because the county government is on transition,” Mr Irungu said.
He said his government will pay workers’ arrears for 2012 only. “It’s only the Transitional Authority (TA) that can authorise payment of arrears before the year 2012, having done all the audit and inventory,” Mr Irungu said.
The employees resumed work after the government said it would factor part of the arrears, amounting to Sh48 million, into a supplementary budget.
“We have agreed that payment of arrears before 2012, and which date back to 1993, will be paid on the advice of TA,” the governor said.
Performance contracts were introduced by the Grand Coalition government.
