Ladies and gentlemen,

I am delighted to formally receive the United Nations Public Service Award bestowed on our country recently in Vienna, Austria.

This award was presented to our country in recognition of our successful implementation of performance contracting in the Public Service, which has substantially improved the quality of services to the people.

The award is therefore an expression of confidence in the ability of the Public Service to provide quality services to wananchi. As servants of the people, this award should inspire us to rededicate ourselves to the service of our people and our country.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Four years ago I pledged to change the way government works. I outlined to Kenyans my vision of transforming our country into a dynamic Working Nation. I undertook to restore the dignity of national institutions and to make them work for the benefit of wananchi. As you are all aware, an efficient Public Service is a key pillar of the Working Nation that we committed ourselves to build. Consequently, my government introduced a number of reforms among them, the implementation of performance contracts in the public service. I am happy to note that these reform initiatives are now bearing fruits. Today, public corporations that were a drain on public resources for many years have returned to profitability, and are now remitting dividends to the Treasury.

Government offices that had become talking shops for disillusioned officials are now busy serving the people, as service charters become part of the civil service working culture.

The improved performance of the Public Service is clearly due to the successful implementation of performance contracts. Some of the evident achievements include:-

1. Restoration and building of trust in the government;

2. Restoration of the dignity and confidence of public servants in Kenya;

3. Increased willingness of the public to pay taxes. For example, tax collections have nearly doubled in the last four years from 183 billion shillings to 360 billion shillings.

Indeed, due to improved tax collections, the government is now in a position to improve on service delivery. As government, we are now able to implement programmes that directly benefit the public. For instance:

§ Free primary education, whose successful implementation has encouraged us to now waive tuition fees in secondary schools beginning next year;

§ Provision of free Anti-retroviral drugs, and free treatment for malaria and T.B.

§ The most extensive road rehabilitation and construction programme witnessed in Kenya’s history;

§ Substantial improvement in public service salaries and allowances, while at the same time lowering the wage bill from 9.7 percent to 7 percent of GDP;

§ The Constituency Development Fund that is re-defining the concept of rural development and becoming a model for other African countries.

§ Establishment of the Youth and Women Development Funds, each worth 2 billion shillings in an effort to empower these two vital segments of our society.

§ Annual electricity connections have risen from 40,000 to over 120,000.

§ Overall economic growth of 6.1 percent.

I mention just a few of these examples to show the distance we have covered in the short time that we have managed the affairs of our nation. I wish to note with gratitude that performance contracting is a local initiative that has benefited from best practices from other countries that have successfully implemented the system. It has also been fully locally funded and is not donor driven. This clearly demonstrates that public servants have the requisite competence to help the country realize its goals. Above all, the successful implementation of performance contracting is an encouragement to Kenyans to believe in themselves and their ability to determine the destiny of our country.

I take this opportunity to compliment the Minister of State for Public Service, Honourable Moses Akaranga, the Head of Public Service, Ambassador Francis Muthaura, and the Performance Contracts Steering Committee for the role they have played in ensuring the success of Performance Contracting. I also thank all public sector employees for embracing performance contracting and making it a success. As we celebrate the successes we have achieved, let us remain focused on what we must do to better the lives of our people.

Over the past four years, we have succeeded in discharging 10 percent of our population from absolute poverty. However, about 45 percent of our population continues to face the challenges of poverty. We must implement poverty reduction programmes that achieve measurable results. We must also increase our absorption capacity for development funds and stop returning funds allocated for implementation of development projects back to the Treasury.

We owe it to Kenyans to implement development projects cost-effectively and on time.

Finally, I urge all Public Servants and indeed Kenyans as a whole to remain focused on the targets that we have set under VISION TWENTY THIRTY. This vision is our promise to Kenyans that we can create a competitive economy in a country whose citizens are enjoying peace, security and high standards of living, under a dynamic and mature democracy.

Once again, I congratulate you all for your efforts and look forward to joining you again next year to celebrate another momentous year in the Public Service.

Thank You and God bless you.