The Public Service Commission (PSC) has told heads of state agencies to follow the laws and guidelines on human resource management and discipline. PSC Chairperson Francis Meja said the number of disciplinary appeals reaching the commission keeps rising. The trend, he said, shows that public institutions are not following set procedures, The Star and KBC Digital reported.
Meja spoke on Monday at the Kenya School of Government in Mombasa. He was opening a PSC capacity-building workshop on HR matters arising from disciplinary control. The workshop brought together chairpersons and chief executive officers of state corporations. Council members and vice-chancellors of public universities also took part.
"When technical officers and Boards or Councils exercise due diligence on disciplinary matters, fewer appeals and court cases follow. It is also a win-win scenario for the government and individual officers," Meja said.
He warned that institutions that ignore the rules, especially after an officer wins an appeal, face avoidable financial costs. According to KBC Digital, he said the officers responsible could also be held personally liable when such cases go to court. In plain terms, poor HR decisions can end up costing taxpayers and individual managers money.
Meja added that unfair or poorly handled disciplinary processes erode trust and lower staff morale. They also weaken the quality of services delivered to Kenyans, he said. He urged leaders of public institutions to learn the applicable HR laws so that they handle cases fairly, openly and within the law.
According to The Star, he said proper management of disciplinary cases would ease the burden of appeals and litigation on the commission. It would also protect employees' rights and strengthen accountability in the public service. The workshop aims to equip agency and university leaders to handle such matters within established HR frameworks.
PSC commissioners Joan Machayo and Boya Molu attended. So did Commission Secretary and CEO Paul Famba and Deputy Commission Secretary for Legal Services Jacqueline Manani.