Kitui Governor Dr. Julius Malombe has expressed concern over a bloated county wage bill that has barred recruitment of technical staff across key departments.
Kenya’s Public Finance Management Act caps county wage bills at 35%, but according to the recent report by the Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o, the current Kitui County wage bill stands at 38 per cent, breaching the limit by 3 per cent.
As a result, the County Public Service Board (CPSB) hasn’t been able to undertake recruitment despite the need to replace those who have retired since 2022.
Speaking while presiding over the official opening of newly constructed offices for the Kitui CPSB at Kitui town, Malombe lamented that proper service delivery to the people is now a major challenge with departments running under a shortage of necessary technical officers.
However, to address the challenge, the governor noted that his administration might be forced to seek an order from the Kitui County Assembly to enable him to recruit the much-needed officers for the understaffed departments.
“Despite the ballooned wage bill, there is an urgent need to employ new technical staff in order to replace both those who have already exited and those set to exit from service, especially due to retirement,” said the governor.
The governor underscored that the completion of the new offices for the public service board marks a significant milestone in strengthening public administration, institutional governance, and service delivery in the County.
“The new fully furnished offices are meant to entrench professionalism, integrity, accountability and efficiency in the management of our county’s human capital, which remains our most valuable development resource,” the governor said.
He further appreciated the vital role the board plays in promoting efficiency, effectiveness, and ethical conduct in public service as well as advising the County Government on human resource planning and development matters.
According to the governor, the public service board plays a pivotal role in shaping the quality, motivation, and performance of the County workforce, which directly affects the quality of services delivered to the people.
Malombe also noted that the CPSB has progressively strengthened recruitment processes, promotions, re-designations, training and development, as well as enhancement of discipline in compliance with legal and constitutional requirements.
The governor lauded the board for smoothening the recruitment exercises by introducing reliable systems aimed at improving efficiency, transparency, and accountability.
Despite operating under constrained infrastructure and limited resources in the past, the board has overseen the recruitment and deployment of a competent and diverse County workforce that supports service delivery across all sectors.
“It has strengthened merit-based recruitment and promotion systems, ensuring that appointments are competitive, transparent, and aligned with the principles of equal opportunity and inclusivity” said the governor.
Currently, the County Public Service Board oversees a total of 5,434 staff, of whom 5,362 are on permanent and pensionable terms of service, while 72 are on contractual terms of service.
Dr. Malombe noted that a total of 1,352 staff have been promoted under the common establishment cadre, 304 under competitive promotions, and 303 re-designated since August 2022 to date.
The board has also developed a Temporary Workers Policy Framework that will in future guide the County in the engagement of non-permanent staff for periods of either three months or 12 months.
He observed that the Kitui County Public Service Board carries a sacred responsibility to safeguard the standards and values upon which effective governance and sustainable development are built.
Governor Dr. Malombe expressed his unwavering commitment to respecting the independence and operational autonomy of the board, supporting its institutional growth, and working collaboratively to build a professional, motivated, and accountable County Public Service.
“My government shall continue to invest in capacity building, systems strengthening, and infrastructure that enables our institutions to serve the people of Kitui with dignity, efficiency, and integrity,” said the governor.
While commissioning the facility, he also called on the board to stand as a symbol of the collective resolve to uphold constitutionalism, strengthen institutions, and deliver tangible results for the people.
By Denson Mututo
