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 countiesin Kenya by taking a closer look at Mombasa County that has experienced under-development over the yearssince independence. The centre of Kenyan constitution carries the Devolution chapter that has been Key to theKenyan people since they have experienced the manipulation and discrimination of the Central Government inthe development of regions. The objective is to look at how the County Governments has engaged the HumanResource functions to ensure smooth devolution and how the Human Resource Department can be so usefulto them. The paper looks critically at 5 key functions of Human Resource Management namely Recruitmentand 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 thedevolution Agenda dividing Kenya into 47 Counties, Kenya’s first Development Plan 1965, Mombasa DistrictStrategic Plan 2005-2010, vision 2030 among other Scholar work including an interview with Key MombasaCounty staff. The results show a county that has achieved very little in terms of Development and a completeneglect of the Human Resource Department in terms of major decisions in the County and lack of systems inplace to further the devolution Agenda, lack of training and development of county officers. The researchertherefore 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 managementapproach in employ assessment. It is therefore clear that there is no devolution without the Key HumanResource functions in place in the counties and the need to empower the Department across all the Countiesto manage the said functions. If A county has the right skilled personnel, Proper Recruitment in Place, Trainingand Development of the County officers, Right allocation of funds towards capacity building proper Humanresource Policies and procedures then the Country is in the right path towards Devolution.