from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – KENYA is leveraging technology to monitor performance by public officials, and is also curbing unnecessary foreign trips by the office bearers.
This is being achieved through the introduction of the Presidential Directives Management Information System (PDMIS) and Foreign Travel Information Management System (FTIMS) digital platforms, launched in the capital, Nairobi, in a ceremony presided over by Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, recently.
Gachagua said the digital platforms were part of the government’s efforts to enhance governance and streamline public service delivery.
“The two innovative platforms will be vital in increasing efficiency, transparency and accountability within the government,” he said.
The launch of these platforms is a strategy by the under-fire administration of President William Ruto amid mass protests over the state of the economy, since he assumed office in 2022.
PDMIS will manage and track presidential directives, while FTIMS will streamline the process of foreign travel clearance. It is anticipated these will be pivotal in advancing accountability.
Previously, such systems were manual and paper-based, leaving loopholes.
“There have been instances of senior officials travelling abroad without proper clearance or approval, which violates the set values and approval of public service (procedures),” said Eliud Owalo, deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the President, Performance and Delivery Management.
“With this system (FTIMS) in place, it will now be possible to have a history of all travel, which every member of the public service has made, at the press of a button.
“Additionally, the manual process of transmitting, tracking and storing presidential directives has been cumbersome and slow. PDMIS will streamline these processes, making it more efficient and enabling quicker, more effective reporting and decision-making, depending on unfolding events from time to time,” Owalo said.
– CAJ News