International Journal of Humanities and Social Science

ISSN 2220-8488 (Print), 2221-0989 (Online) 10.30845/ijhss

The Influence of the County Public Service Board (CPSB), on the Devolved Human Resources Governance in Kenya
Mr. Elijah NjagiIreri, Dr. Wario Guyo Ph.D.

Abstract
The Constitution of Kenya passed in 2010 transformed the way the country conducted its public affairs in various ways. The County Public Service Board was one such product under the concept of devolution of services between the national and county government encapsulated in the fourth schedule. Devolution was an important innovation designed to institute accountability, transparency and integrity in the selection, appointment, promotion and removal of public servants through the CPSB. The CPSB, replaced the Public Service Commission (PSC) but discharged its duties at the County level. Its mandate is to select, appoint, promote and remove public servants when the need arose. The CSPB is required to discharge its functions using guidelines encapsulated in Chapter 6, 10 and Article 232 of the Constitution, the Leadership and Integrity Act, the Public Officers Ethics Act and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act. These elaborate laws would lead to an efficient and effective human resource at the county level. Instead, the CSPB use criteria far removed from the elaborate mechanism articulated in the Constitution and statute. This is because, the CSPB does not have independence and autonomy in decision making, and instead decisions are made elsewhere using political considerations. This is even despite the existence of moderating factors such as international legal standards on the selection, appointment, promotion and removal of public servants. This paper uses a descriptive and comparative methods to explain the variables that influence the CSPB in the governance of HR at the county level.

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