Kenya Pushes Productivity Reforms
Kenya is intensifying efforts to improve productivity in the public service, with leaders pushing for a stronger link between government spending and measurable service delivery outcomes.
The discussions are taking place during the National Productivity and Performance Conference 2026, held in Nairobi and bringing together officials from the National Treasury, county governments, and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
The conference, which runs through Friday the 19th, June 2026, is focused on strengthening public sector efficiency, improving accountability in spending, and ensuring that government resources translate into visible results for citizens.
It comes at a time when government institutions are implementing reforms aimed at shifting budgeting from input-based allocations to results-based management, in line with broader public finance reforms under the National Treasury and constitutional requirements for transparency and accountability.
Speaking to Newslight Kenya, Samuel Kiru, Director of Budget Planning at the National Treasury, said public expenditure must now be evaluated based on outcomes.
“The key question is how those resources are translated into tangible outputs and outcomes… we should be seeing improved services,” he said.
Kiru added that spending without clear improvements in service delivery raises accountability concerns.
“If money was spent, but people were not connected to services, then we must ask where did the money go?” he added.
At the county level, leaders said improving productivity depends on effective implementation of approved projects.
Seth Mwatela Kamanza, Speaker of the Kwale County Assembly and Chairperson of the County Assemblies Forum, said budgets must be fully aligned with service delivery.
“We need budgets that are oriented towards service delivery, so that if a project is started, it must be completed,” he said.
He also called for stronger public participation in monitoring development projects to improve accountability and outcomes.
“We bring the citizen on board, so that projects are not by leaders, but by the people,” he added.
Emerging Leaders Foundation Executive Director Caren Wakoli said technology can help institutions collect real-time feedback from citizens, enabling policymakers to make informed decisions and address service delivery challenges more effectively.
“If we use technology in doing that, that would be so great, and it enables us to do the streamlining that at a press of a button, we’re able to check real time what citizens are saying about the quality of service they’re receiving,” she said.
Wakoli noted that citizens should remain at the centre of government programmes and reforms, adding that public institutions can achieve better outcomes by listeningto the experiences and expectations of the people they serve.
The conference continues in Nairobi through Friday, with stakeholders expected to refine strategies aimed at improving productivity, efficiency, and results in public service delivery.
