THE ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN DEVOLUTION OF COUNTIES IN KENYA: A CASE STUDY OF MOMBASA COUNTY
Japheth Ogweno Alande
ABSTRACT
This paper talks of the role Human Resource Management plays in the Devolution of counties Kenya. In 2010 the Kenyan people voted in referendum that ushered in new system of government and drastically changed from an imperial presidency and a central government to devolved system of government and as a result Kenya has been divided into 47 counties with each county having its own government headed by the governor. Each county therefore has a county assembly and county executive to run its affairs. Article 203 of the public finance chapter of Constitution of Kenya 2010 sets an annual transfer from the national government to the county government a minimum of 15% of the national revenue based on the most recent audited accounts. Since this is the first time Kenya has had this system of government there are numerous challenges ranging from the relationship between the central government and county governments, the lack of understanding on the operations of county governments, the possibility of counties not achieving their own mandate and development at all by having a focus of the Mombasa County that has previously claimed marginalisation and now they have been given the chance to run their own affairs and address the previous misdeeds and prioritise their own development Agenda. This paper therefore looks at the key functions of Human Resource Management namely Recruitment and Selection, Performance management, Training and Development, Change management and Human Resource Policies and how they contribute to devolution. This paper looks at the various secondary data beginning with the constitution, the first development paper of 1965, the millennium Development Goals 2015, Vision 2030, Mombasa District Strategic Plan 2005-2010 among other work of scholars of devolution and an interview with the county Government officials on the various achievements in the past and how far they have engaged the key functions of Human Resource Management to help in the devolution of the County. The result reveal the deep extent of underdevelopment and the deliberate sidestepping of Human Resource Management role in facilitating devolution and recommends the best way the county governments can enhance the devolution idea by fully engaging the Key Functions of Human Resource Management as discussed above and hence without the involvement of Human resource functions the devolution of Counties will remain to be a pipe dream.
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