Go for merit in State firm appointments

PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK

Every transition to a new administration comes with jostling for coveted top parastatal jobs. This time, the incoming Ruto government has at least 30 plum positions to fill given that some State firm’s chief executives are either acting or have their terms coming to a close.

While the new President and his Cabinet secretaries have the final say in who occupies the corner office at any of the State corporations, we call for merit in the appointments.

This will ensure professionalism in their management and good service delivery to the public.

The appointing authorities should move away from the practice of using any vacancies to reward political cronies and business operatives who funded party or presidential campaigns.

It would also save taxpayers billions of shillings if non-strategic and poorly performing State firms were scrapped as recommended by the 2015 Abdikadir Parastatal Reforms Report. The task force also called for the number of State corporations to be reduced from 262 to 187.

PAYE Tax Calculator

Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.