By MKT Reporter
Mount Kenya region Principal Secretaries have emerged as the highest-rated in the country, taking half of all top positions in the latest national performance ranking.
According to the 2025 Principal Secretaries Performance Evaluation, released on Friday by Politrack Africa, 10 of the top 20 best-performing PSs hail from the Mt Kenya region, underscoring what analysts say is a strong record of efficiency, innovation, and service delivery by state technocrats from the region.
The new ranking reviewed the performance of all 51 Principal Secretaries across government ministries, using a comprehensive methodology anchored on project implementation, digital transformation, financial discipline, stakeholder engagement and public accountability.
The poll placed PS Raymond Omollo (Interior and National Administration) and PS Elijah Mwangi (Sports) jointly at the top, each scoring 69.7%.
They were recognised for their oversight of high-impact national programs, progress in digitisation, and achievement of performance contracting targets.
PS Mwangi’s strong score also marked the beginning of a steady run for Mt Kenya PSs dominating the upper tier of the ranking.
Mt Kenya PSs Take Majority of Top 10 Slots
Second place overall went to PS Esther Muhoria of the State Department for TVET, celebrated for reforms that have expanded access to technical training and improved enrollment and infrastructure.
Housing and Urban Development PS Charles Hinga and Public Service and Human Development PS Jane Kiere followed closely, securing third and fifth positions with scores of 65.5% and 62.8% respectively.
PS Hinga was cited for progress under the Affordable Housing agenda, while PS Kiere earned praise for strengthening HR systems across the public sector.
PS Joseph Mungai (Roads) ranked sixth owing to notable achievements in road construction, maintenance and contractor management.
In eighth position was Energy PS Alex Wachira with 59.2%, recognised for efforts to expand electricity access and enhance grid reliability.
Closing the top ten was Public Health and Professional Standards PS Mary Muthoni, who scored 57.1% soon after her department received the SDG Award 2025 for integrating SDG indicators in malaria, TB, nutrition and preventive health programmes.
PS Ephantus Kimotho (Irrigation) followed in eleventh place, noted for improving water storage, expanding irrigation and supporting agricultural resilience.
Two other Mt Kenya PSs also appeared in the top 20; PS Anne Wang’ombe (Gender Affairs & Affirmative Action) and PS Jacob Kahindi (Youth Affairs), reflecting gains in empowerment programmes, youth development and gender-responsive budgeting.
The ranking was done after evaluating several factors, among them:
Core Mandate Delivery and Operational Excellence
This assessed completion of performance contracting targets, project execution, budget absorption, and improvements in citizen service delivery. Strong digital rollouts and reduced processing times boosted scores.
Strategic Leadership and National Impact
This measured alignment with national priorities such as BETA, Vision 2030, food security, affordable housing and UHC, as well as the ability to guide policy, collaborate across agencies and drive multi-sector programmes.
Innovation and Digital Transformation
This captured efforts to digitise services, automate workflows, use data for decision-making, and streamline bureaucratic processes.
Integrity, Governance, Public Accountability and Perception
This reviewed transparency, statutory reporting, audit outcomes, anti-corruption measures, internal controls and staff morale.
Politrack relied on a blended scoring model incorporating quantitative data from government reports and audits, qualitative evidence from PS portfolios, and feedback from staff, citizen groups and partner agencies.
The organisation said the approach was designed to reward impact, innovation and ethical leadership, while highlighting leaders whose work has tangible community benefits.
The dominance of Mt Kenya PSs; claiming 50% of the top 20 positions has drawn attention within government and political circles.
Analysts attribute the strong performance to the region’s technocratic tradition and its emphasis on accountability, digitisation and performance contract implementation, areas heavily prioritised by the Kenya Kwanza administration.
A senior government official familiar with the process noted that the results reflect “a region that has invested in technocratic leadership and internal systems capable of delivering measurable results.”
With all 51 PSs evaluated, the ranking represents a broad view of public service leadership across sectors including health, youth, education, energy, infrastructure, agriculture and governance.
Politrack said the full report will be shared with Parliament, the Head of Public Service and the Office of the President to support ongoing public service reforms and performance management.
