ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN DEVOLUTION OF COUNTIES IN KENYA

Abstract

This paper talks about the role that human Resource Management needs to play in the devolution of counties in Kenya by taking a closer look at Mombasa County that has experienced under-development over the years since independence. The centre of Kenyan constitution carries the Devolution chapter that has been Key to the Kenyan people since they have experienced the manipulation and discrimination of the Central Government in the development of regions. The objective is to look at how the County Governments has engaged the Human Resource functions to ensure smooth devolution and how the Human Resource Department can be so useful to them. The paper looks critically at 5 key functions of Human Resource Management namely Recruitment and Selection, Training and Development, Change Management, Human Resource Policies and Procedures, Performance Management. The researcher has also looked at the Kenyan constitution 2010 that has set the devolution Agenda dividing Kenya into 47 Counties, Kenya’s first Development Plan 1965, Mombasa District Strategic Plan 2005-2010, vision 2030 among other Scholar work including an interview with Key Mombasa County staff. The results show a county that has achieved very little in terms of Development and a complete neglect of the Human Resource Department in terms of major decisions in the County and lack of systems in place to further the devolution Agenda, lack of training and development of county officers. The researcher therefore recommends allocation of more funds towards the growth and development of the county officers, Empowerment of Human Resource Department, Hiring of the right personnel and a performance management approach in employ assessment. It is therefore clear that there is no devolution without the Key Human Resource functions in place in the counties and the need to empower the Department across all the Counties to manage the said functions. If A county has the right skilled personnel, Proper Recruitment in Place, Training and Development of the County officers, Right allocation of funds towards capacity building proper Human resource Policies and procedures then the Country is in the right path towards Devolution.