The chairperson of the Public Enterprises CEO Forum, Fluksman Samuel, has lamented the poor working relationship between the executives and the boards of public enterprises, saying the government needs to appoint competent individuals.
He made the statement at the opening of the second public enterprises conference at the Gross Barmen resort on Wednesday, saying the government, the board, and the executive management should work together to ensure a professional and cordial working relationship.
‘I would like to state that all is not well in the public enterprise sector. We do share our moments of joy and sorrow. Of particular concern are the ongoing reports of poor working relations between some boards and their respective accounting officers,’ Samuel said.
He noted that there are ‘pockets of boards and their respective chief executive officers who do not see eye to eye.’
‘It is unfortunate that some discussions in corporate boardrooms are characterised by antagonism, tension, conflict, and an endless t
ug of war. This state of affairs has the potential to derail progress in the public enterprise sector,’ said Samuel, who is chief executive officer of the Lderitz Waterfront.
In his address to the top management of public enterprises at the beginning of their three-day conference, Samuel emphasised the importance of a good relationship between the board of directors and the accounting officers.
‘I am pleased to note that this matter forms part of the topics to be discussed at this conference. It is hoped that we will reflect deeply, look at the underlying causes of poor working relationships, and come up with remedial actions,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Samuel called on the government ‘to appoint men and women of substance’ who are ‘fit and proper’ to the boards of public enterprises.
He further called on the government to assume an ‘activist role’ in the induction phase of the newly appointed boards before the beginning of their oversight functions.
‘It is critical that the appointing authority spell out clea
rly the roles and responsibilities of public enterprise boards, including providing strategic leadership and creating a favourable environment for public institutions to achieve their respective mandates,’ he said.
Finance and Public Enterprises Minister Iipumbu Shiimi, whose ministry facilitates the appointment of most boards, said his ministry is working to create better governance in public enterprises.
Shiimi, who also addressed the conference, said they have started strengthening the recruitment process to get the best talent on the boards of public enterprises.
‘There is a recruitment system in place, but it does not always yield good results,’ Shiimi said, adding that the ministry is building capacity.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
The government has asked members of public to give feedback on services offered by the government as way of assessing performance and help improve the services.
The State Department for Performance and Delivery Management Principal Secretary, Veronica Nduva said that feedback through complaints and compliments will help assess performance of public institutions and improve on services offered and in so doing enable citizen access services efficiently.
‘It is vital to not only recognize the complaints but also the compliments of Kenyans for this will help the concerned institutions to continue or improve on areas of weakness highlighted by the members of the Public,’ she said.
She urged public servants to serve with humility, grace and recognition of the job at hand. She echoed the sentiments of Wycliffe Thirikwa, a beneficiary of the ombudsman office, who stated that public officers should not undermine citizens’ complaints and should serve wholeheartedly since they are only custodians of the office.
The
PS was speaking at the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) Nairobi during the fourth edition of the Huduma Ombudsman Awards 2023 organised by the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) to celebrate outstanding public officers and institutions.
This year’s theme was ‘Improved Public Service Delivery by Deepening and Strengthening Administrative Justice and Access to Information.’
Several institutions and individuals bagged prestigious accolades in different categories. Kenya Revenue Authority, Huduma Kenya and National Council for Law Reporting won first place in institutional groupings among others.
Corporal Julius Karanja Irungu, a police officer Stationed at Wajir SOG won the Ombudsman valor award for his bravery during an IED terror attack in Wajir.
Another notable winner was Precious Dama Randu, Assistant County Commisioner, Matsangoni division in Kilifi North Sub- County who excelled in the public service delivery category.
The awards consisted of individual, institutional and Ombuds
man valor Award categories that appreciate effective, accountable and a responsive public service. The commission has adopted this approach to promote compliance with administrative justice and access to information
The CAJ Chairperson, Florence Kajuju underscored the need to sensitize Kenyans on the use of the public portal of the Complaints Management Information System (CMIS) to lodge their complaints. ‘The commission has strengthened the complains turning mechanism by training government officers, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to build their capacity to manage walk- ins’ she said
Source: Kenya News Agency