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Public Service Commission offices in Nairobi. [File, Standard]
The recent audit by the Public Service Commission (PSC) into recruitment practices at the Office of the Attorney General has sparked an important national conversation. According to the audit, there were concerns regarding adherence to recruitment procedures, including reports that some individuals appointed to public positions had not applied for the advertised vacancies, while others who did not meet the prescribed qualifications were shortlisted and eventually recruited. These findings, if confirmed through the appropriate processes, should concern every Kenyan.
The findings regarding the Office of the Attorney General, the institution entrusted with upholding the Constitution and the rule of law, raise concerns about compliance with recruitment procedures, prompting all public organisations to evaluate the integrity of their own hiring and promotion systems. While it remains to be seen whether these findings indicate isolated issues or broader systemic weaknesses, they offer a valuable opportunity to reaffirm the importance of meritocracy as a fundamental principle of effective governance.
Meritocracy is more than a recruitment policy or process. It is the principle that appointments and promotions should be based on competence, qualifications, integrity, experience, and demonstrated performance rather than on patronage, influence, ethnicity, family connections, or other unrelated considerations. It is the foundation upon which effective institutions and prosperous nations are built. The quality of any institution can never exceed the quality of the people entrusted to lead it.
