Select competent PSs, not politicians
Select competent PSs, not politicians
Around 50 positions for Permanent Secretaries need to be filled and interviews of applicants start today.
The government should be commended for this competitive and open process. This meritocratic procedure will be a unifying factor if the appointments are made transparently and fairly.
But it is important that the appointments for PSs should identify solid candidates who are technocrats and good administrators. They should not reward failed politicians for their loyalty in the last election. This would be a recipe for chaos and disaster.
President Ruto was criticised for appointing too many politicians as Cabinet Secretaries in his Cabinet but arguably it is good to have politicians as CSs because they know how to work the levers of government and get things done.
With PSs, it is different. Loyalty can be rewarded but a high premium should be given to qualifications and experience to ensure that Kenya gets the right technocrats into the right positions, whatever their personal political views.
The state can also consider regional balance and gender equity but, at the end of the day, competence should be the foremost consideration when selecting our new PSs.
