President William Ruto has called on his Cabinet Secretaries (CSs) to commit to performance targets, aiming to deliver on his administration’s key legacy projects. On Tuesday, Ruto will lead CSs and Principal Secretaries (PSs) in a performance contract signing ceremony—the second since he took office in 2022. These contracts align with priorities under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (Beta Plan), and CSs are expected to meet these targets by June of next year.
Performance contracts are used to facilitate efficient implementation of priority goals in public institutions, linking planning, budgeting, and delivery to boost accountability. According to a memo by Public Service head Felix Koskei, Ruto requires all CSs and PSs to be present in person for the signing event at State House, Nairobi, on November 19, 2024, at 9 a.m. “The signing marks an essential step toward achieving our national development goals and improving the effectiveness of public service delivery,” Koskei stated.
Ruto’s administration is based on a transformative economic model intended to uplift low-income populations through the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (2022–2027). Following criticism of his initial Cabinet’s underperformance, which partly led to last year’s youth-led protests, Ruto disbanded the Cabinet and re-emphasized the need for performance-based accountability. The upcoming performance contracts reflect a month-long negotiation process led by Deputy Chief of Staff for Performance and Delivery, Eliud Owalo. Owalo stated that public officials would face sanctions for underperformance, while those meeting or exceeding targets would be rewarded accordingly.
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The agriculture sector is a focal point, with Ruto’s administration aiming to distribute 12.5 million bags of fertilizer to farmers and register 200,000 farmers on the e-voucher system by June 2024. Agriculture CS Andrew Karanja’s team plans to introduce 27 new high-yield sugarcane varieties, expand tea sector value addition, and complete a scientific tea-tasting center. They also plan to install 220 milk coolers across 36 counties and replenish livestock affected by drought and floods.
In the coffee sector, the government intends to waive Sh2 billion in farmer debts in the 2024–2025 financial year through the Cooperatives docket, led by Wycliffe Oparanya. To bolster domestic industries, the Trade Ministry is working on a cotton, textile, and apparel policy to promote the "Buy-Kenya-Build-Kenya" initiative, along with uniform county licensing to ease business operations in all 47 counties. Trade CS Salim Mvurya also aims to enhance industrial investments by launching four Export Processing Zones (EPZs).
Alice Wahome’s Lands Ministry aims to issue 280,000 title deeds this year and digitize land registries to enable online services in Mombasa, Isiolo, and Marsabit.
