I think the main problem afflicting parastatals is patronage because the manner in which directors are appointed is not pegged on any demonstrated capacity to run a public agency.
That is why you see the Civil Society Reference Group, that I lead, protested because the latest appointments of Directors and their Chief Executives did not conform to the constitutional requirement of competitive recruitment as required.
Those who get appointed as directors, get appointed as reward for having contributed handsomely to political campaigns that put in place the leaders who in turn will appoint them.
Therefore, those who get appointed see the appointment as an opportunity to return favour to the appointing authority and therefore all these cash you see politician mobilise as part of their resources for the next election, a lot of it come from parastatals.
Those who are awarded tenders are supposed to give kickbacks and therefore the cost of services are inflated to cover for the monies given informally both to the directors who in turn give to the political benefactors.
The main problem in the parastatal - be it NHIF, KPLC or KPC - is the history of patronage that has held these bodies hostage yet the idea of parastatals was that the state is not supposed to leave the provision of certain services entirely in private hands.
Parastatals were to generate revenue for provision of public service, but they have turned them to cash cows that are then handed to politicians who exploit them knowing the public will always inject money to resuscitate the institutions.
The Government under Jubilee administration started some reforms which they left half-way, there was a task force headed by former MP Abdikadir Mohammed that came up with a blueprint to merge some parastatals providing the same service.
We need to introduce competitive recruitment of those who take charge of the day-to-day running of these institutions and I think the principles as laid down in the constitution provide an avenue to bring about those reforms.
That habit is now slowly getting over to constitutional Commissions which are increasingly being taken over by failed politicians. This is the surest way to kill the institutions.
Suba Churchil is the Convener Civil Society Reference Group. He spoke to the Star