Department of Public Policy and Administration

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Browsing Department of Public Policy and Administration by Subject "Energy Sector"

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    Government Bureaucracy and Service Delivery in State-Owned Enterprises in the Energy Sector in Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2023) Jason Chewa; David Minja; Jane Gakenia Njoroge
    Government and private institutions all over the world recognize the cardinal role of service delivery in attaining a competitive advantage in a dynamic market. State-owned enterprises in the Energy sector are a major foundation upon which the economic, social and political development strategies are built in order to actualize the Vision 2030 as well as the Big Four agenda. They enjoy monopoly in the provision of services to the public. However, despite reforms to reduce public sector bureaucracy, the public still face many hurdles in accessing government service, the level of public dissatisfaction on service delivery is high, one of the contributors being politicization of appointments of Board of Directors that leads to insufficient competence and legal frameworks. This thesis investigated the effect of government bureaucracy on service delivery in state-owned enterprises within the energy sector in Kenya. It especially aimed at establishing the influence of leadership hierarchy, actors’ interest, policy compliance and political environment on service delivery in state-owned enterprises. Further, the thesis analysed the moderating role of working environment on the relationship between government bureaucracy and delivery of services. The target population comprised 124 suppliers, 5,107 end-user consumers, 1,817 employees in KPLC plus 480 employees in REREC and 30 employees from the Energy regulator (EPRA). A sample of 380 individuals/households was selected using a two-stage sampling procedure comprising stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Empirical data for this thesis was gathered using semi-structured questionnaires. The validity and reliability of the data collection tool was assessed to confirm the suitability of the tool for use in the study. Multiple and stepwise linear regression were conducted on the data set that had been gathered from the field. Ethical research considerations were also effected in the collection and analysis of data. The findings of the thesis demonstrated that leadership hierarchy, actor’s interest, policy compliance and political environment had a positive and significant effect on delivery of services in state-owned enterprises within the energy sector in Kenya. Additionally, the study found out that working environment moderates the relationship between government bureaucracy and delivery of services. As such, the study recommends that management of state-owned enterprises should enact policies to reinforce practices on aspects of leadership power to promote leadership motivation and leadership delegation. Further, it recommends that a policy framework be formulated for promoting activities related to actors’ participation, decision making and efficient flow of information in state-owned enterprises. Audit divisions in state-owned enterprises should strengthen the existing policy framework to sufficiently embed practices that foster culture of compliance with rules and regulations, work instructions and personnel selection. The board of management of the state-owned enterprises within the energy sector should initiate mechanisms for cushioning itself from disruptive interference of interest groups with potential to erode operational efficiency and ability to actualize service delivery outcomes. The human resource divisions of state-owned enterprises ought to enact policy that buttresses mutual trust, team spirit, sharing of information, openness and a sense of belonging. In addition, sufficient resources should be availed for strengthening information and communication infrastructure, which is one of the critical support systems.