NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 20 – Kenya Power has introduced performance management contracts for more than 6,000 unionisable employees in a move aimed at improving accountability, productivity and customer service.
The initiative follows more than two decades of negotiations between management and employees represented by the Kenya Electrical Trades and Allied Workers Union (KETAWU).
Kenya Power said the move places it among the first State-owned enterprises to adopt performance contracts for union staff, in line with the Government-Owned Enterprises Act, 2025.
The law requires commercial State corporations to submit annual business plans and adopt performance contracts anchored on measurable results.
“Productivity is not simply about doing more. It is about delivering better results through effective use of our time, our skills, our resources and our technology,” Kenya Power Managing Director and CEO Dr Joseph Siror said.
“We are becoming more efficient, more reliable and more focused on our customers. But improvement is not the destination, excellence is and it will not come from systems alone. It will come from each one of us: the work we do, the targets we commit to, the standards we uphold and the results we deliver,” he added.
The process was guided by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
Speaking during the launch, SRC Chairperson Sammy Chepkwony challenged other public institutions to adopt similar performance management frameworks, saying the move would strengthen productivity across the public sector.
“There is nothing more powerful than having management and staff focused on one deliverable. It creates a direct link between organizational objectives and the activities of every employee,” Chepkwony said.
“I want to commend Kenya Power for this bold step and encourage other public institutions to design performance management frameworks that promote productivity across all cadres of staff,” he added.
Kenya Power’s customer base has grown from about 370,000 in 1996 to 10.4 million currently, increasing pressure on the utility to improve service delivery and customer satisfaction.
The company said the performance contracts will bring all employees under one productivity management framework and enable it to monitor performance across its workforce.
“The performance management framework we have launched today holds strategic significance beyond compliance. It will enable attainment of corporate goals through measurable gains in service delivery,” said Kenya Power Director Ruth Muiruri, who spoke on behalf of the Board Chairman.
“The Board of Directors will continue to provide guidance to the management and the leadership KETAWU to ensure smooth implementation of the productivity management framework,” she added.
