REPUBLIC OF KENYA MINISTRY OF DEVOLUTION AND PLANNING STATEMENT BY ANNE WAIGURU, OGW, CABINET SECRETARY FOR DEVOLUTION AND

PLANNING ON THE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OF STAFF UNDERTAKING DEVOLVED FUNCTIONS

As you will recall, the negotiation meeting with the union of health workers held on 9th December 2013 agreed on the need to fastrack the conclusion of a policy framework to guide the human resource management aspects of all staff undertaking devolved functions. The policy is the legally sanctioned framework as provided for under section 138 of the County Governments Act and further within the mandate of the Public Service Commission under Article 234 of the constitution. The policy will address the key concerns raised by the union of health workers, but similarly apply to all public officers undertaking devolved functions. Specifically, the Public Service Commission was tasked to address inter alia issues regarding the schemes of service, appointments, promotions, disciplinary actions, pensions, retirements, training, vertical and horizontal transfers between and among governments, medical and housing schemes by end of December 2013, following which consultations with all stakeholders would be undertaken in January 2014. Key institutions in this regard have since finalized the development of a draft policy framework for the same. These include the Public Service Commission, the Transition Authority, Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution, Pension Department of the National Treasury, Retirement Benefits Authority, the Ministry of Devolution and Planning and the Council of Governors among others. A consultative meeting on the draft policy is set for the second week of January 2014. We are in the process of arranging logistics and communication to all relevant stakeholders as appropriate. The government wishes to once again reiterate its commitment to fully implementing the Constitution, and especially the provisions on devolution. In view of the legal and administrative transfer of functions and resources to counties that has since been undertaken, the integral aspects of secondment, transfer and release of staff to and from counties will be a substantive process step in our evolution towards devolved governments. The government has kept its side of the bargain in the negotiations with

the union of health workers and would therefore wish to urge the unions to exercise good faith and end the strike.

Anne Waiguru, OGW Cabinet Secretary