The European Union (EU) has announced a significant investment of Ksh 841.9 million (€6 million) over the next three years aimed at bolstering the performance management systems of 15 counties across Kenya’s Western, Central, and Coast regions. This funding, part of the Kenya Integrated Performance Management Policy (KIPMP), seeks to empower county governments to efficiently manage public resources and improve the delivery of essential services to citizens.
EU Ambassador to Kenya, Henriette Geiger, highlighted the importance of strengthening performance management at the local level, stressing that effective service delivery in areas like healthcare, education, and infrastructure depends on robust systems within county governments. She described the initiative as a “surgical intervention” that will help ensure that devolution succeeds by building up the systems where services are directly delivered to the people.
“To achieve real transformation, it must happen at the local level,” Ambassador Geiger remarked during a meeting with Eliud Owalo, Deputy Chief of Staff for Performance and Delivery Management, alongside officials from the Public Service Performance Management Unit (PSPMU) and the Government Delivery Unit (GDU).
A key aspect of the EU’s support will be the introduction of performance contracting, along with workshops focused on effective management and reporting. This training will ensure that public servants are well-equipped to manage performance contracts and track government programs efficiently. One of the major upgrades will be the automation of monitoring and evaluation systems, facilitating better data management and real-time tracking of projects.
“We need to leverage ICT infrastructure for automation to streamline data management,” said Owalo. He also emphasized the need for further support from various EU member states to implement these systems.
The partnership will also aim to enhance county governments’ capacity to generate their own revenue, reducing reliance on National Treasury funding. This initiative will enable counties to improve their financial independence and sustainability.
Ambassador Geiger noted the EU’s Technical and Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX), which will allow for the sharing of best practices and peer-to-peer exchanges with public administration experts from EU member states. This will be key to helping Kenyan officials tailor their performance management systems to local needs, benefiting from international expertise and resources.
“By looking at the 27 administrations within the EU, we can choose systems that are most appropriate and adapt them to your needs,” she added.
As part of the initiative, the EU will provide a series of workshops and training for public servants, ensuring they gain hands-on experience in performance management. The partnership will also include regular study visits for government officials to learn from global best practices.
“The partnership will drive a surgical intervention into the systems that matter most—those that impact people’s daily lives,” emphasized Ambassador Geiger.
This collaboration builds on the EU’s 2025 programme to support Kenya’s devolution, in which it is working closely with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to implement activities at the county level. With the EU’s support, Kenya’s counties are poised to enhance their public service performance, offering better governance and more efficient delivery of services to the people.
