By GPC Correspondent
The Council of Governors (CoG) chairman Muthomi Njuki has challenged public and private institutions to introduce clear promotion frameworks that reward employees based on productivity and qualifications rather than personal connections.
Speaking at the ongoing 30th Institute of Human Resource Management conference in Naivasha, the Tharaka Nithi governor acknowledged progress in promoting workplace productivity but said more needed to be done to ensure institutions made the most of their employees.
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Njuki urged governments and private institutions to conduct regular internal workforce audits to assess staff performance, improve productivity and establish achievable targets that create better working environments.
Addressing human resource experts drawn from different sectors, including county government county secretaries, he also called for a review of the use of the ‘ghost workers’ narrative.
He said the issue had often been invoked during administrative transitions to push out legitimate employees and create room for workers preferred by incoming administrations.
Look within before advertising jobs
The CoG chairman challenged human resource practitioners to prioritise internal staff when filling vacancies before advertising positions externally.
He noted that some existing employees could possess the qualifications required for advertised positions but had taken up other roles because those were the opportunities available to them at the time.
Njuki illustrated the point using the example of a driver who could have the necessary qualifications to work in an accounting position but might never get the opportunity unless the institution considered their potential and credentials.
He said institutions should identify and nurture talent within their workforce instead of overlooking existing employees in favour of external recruitment.
The governor also called for an end to promotions driven by the ‘who knows who’ culture, insisting that career advancement should be based on merit, competence and demonstrated productivity rather than personal connections.
