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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.7, No.7
Publication Date: July 25, 2020
DOI:10.14738/assrj.77.8643.
Onyango, M. A. (2020). Role Of Transformative Leadership In Dealing With Challenges Faced By The Kenyan Public Service. Advances in
Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(7) 732-738.
Role Of Transformative Leadership In Dealing With Challenges
Faced By The Kenyan Public Service
Michael Ang’anyo Onyango
Lecturer, Department of Training,
Research and Consultancy, Kenya School of Gov.
Ph.D., Political Science, MA (Public Administration and Policy).
ABSTRACT
Leadership on the African continent has been a focus of scholars as
African nations have incredible human and natural resources but seem
to be bereft of the leaders necessary to capitalize on its opportunities.
Researchers acknowledge that the barrier to progress in the developing
world is not the deficiency of money or natural resources, but suggested
it to be the lack of leadership. Researchers have demonstrated reasons
for this deficiency including the effects of the colonial system upon
people and civil service systems, but have not yet been able to establish
a promising path to economic and social progress. Leaders in Kenya
provided promising solutions in the national strategic plan, Kenya
Vision 2030, to move it to a first world economy within 25 years. One of
the foundations of the plan was public service reform with a flagship
project to establish the Kenya School of Government to develop
transformative leadership training and fill the leadership gap. The
purpose of this workplace individual assignment was to investigate,
understand, and describe the role of transformative leadership in
dealing with challenges faced by the Kenyan public service. The
transformational leadership theory approach of Burns (1978) was used
as the locus point for the study. Using a qualitative case study method,
secondary data was gathered from relevant literature at the state
department of interior – the literature was then reviewed through desk
literature review. The result of the analysis was that development of
training for transformative leadership was an intentional goal which
was seen as critical strategy in dealing with challenges faced by the
Kenya public service for national success. The discussion concludes by
making recommendations on how to develop a transformative
leadership mind-set among public officers. Kenya and other developing
countries may benefit from the results of this study as it provides an
insight on how leadership is about stepping into the gap, solving
problems and unlocking people’s potential for dealing with challenges
in the public service.
INTRODUCTION
The African continent in general (and Kenya in particular) is at a crossroads. It has incredible
resources both human and natural, but it seems to be bereft of leadership to capitalize on its
opportunities (Costantinos, 2012; Dartey-Baah, 2014). On the one hand, it is striding forward, while
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on the other hand, it is stuck in the past. Young and old alike have lost faith in the government and
see no path forward to a better life for themselves.
There is an almost universal normative view of the government as being corrupt and without
transformative leaders, which in turn fosters cynicism and hopelessness in its citizens (Ayittey,
2011). The political culture and action reinforces this view (Diamond, 1994a). This post- independence malady of muddled progress, cynicism, and hopelessness continues unabated.
This workplace individual assignment therefore set out to investigate Kenya’s attempt to address
this malady and lack of progress through its national strategic plan—Kenya Vision 2030—by
discussing the role of Transformative Leadership in dealing with challenges faced by the Kenyan
public service. The study was informed by the view that leadership is about stepping into the gap,
solving problems and unlocking people’s potential. This paper therefore sought to respond to the
begging question on how to develop a Transformative Leadership Mind-set among public officers.
Background To The Study
Some scholars have placed the blame for the continued lack of progress in Africa on a perpetuation
of segments of traditional African culture and mind-set that are rooted deeply in the African psyche.
Chatteris (2002) wrote about the continuance in Africa of this traditional mind-set of Africanism.
Africanism searches for the African way of doing things, and in many cases consciously questions
and opposes Western ideas and proposals not out of substantive reason but simply because it is
coming from the West (Chatteris, 2002).
This Africanism mind-set has been fostered by the experience of colonialism whereby the African
people were subjugated and looked upon as intellectual inferiors so that ability to act and think for
oneself was affected (Chatteris, 2002). It is a mind-set that accepts autocratic leaders as worthy to
lead since they have demonstrated the power of the traditional chieftain, and therefore can, and
even should lead as long as they have the power to continue doing so (Chatteris, 2002). This mind- set has led to self-degradation and a fatalistic view that when conquered it is because of not being
worthy, a mind-set that is deadly for democratic governance (Chatteris, 2002). Kuada agreed and
stated that “some aspects of African culture may constrain effective leadership” (as cited in Fourie,
et al 2015: 18).
However not all scholars agree, Ayittey (2010) agreed that colonialism has altered the thinking of
Africa’s leaders, but he argued that the traditional African mind-set historically held leaders
accountable for despotic actions but was never brought forward into post-independence
governments. In contrast, Simiyu (1988) stated that traditional African society did not contain
democratic principles but in fact was hierarchical and centralized.
Problem Statement
The problem in Africa and particularly in Kenya is lack of leadership. Governance in Kenya has
continued to exhibit the character of its hisorical colonial system rooted in self-interest. This legacy
inhibits the nation from economic and social progress due to the lack of leaders who demonstrate
statesmanship (Costantinos, 2016). Ayittey (2010) stated this in the strongest terms: “To many
Africans, independence was in name only. One set of masters (white colonialists) was replaced by
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Onyango, M. A. (2020). Role Of Transformative Leadership In Dealing With Challenges Faced By The Kenyan Public Service. Advances in Social Sciences
Research Journal, 7(7) 732-738.
another set (black neo-colonialists), with the oppression and exploitation of the African people
continuing unabated” (Ayittey, 2010: 1203).
This new set of masters either lived under or were influenced by a colonial system before
independence more than 50 years ago, leading to the replication of the old system (Ayittey, 2010;
Chweya, 2003) and governing in like manner of greed (Ayittey, 2010; Chatteris, 2002; Costantinos,
2012). This continued dilemma of destructive governance cannot be rectified without leaders who
act ethically and take decisive action for the good of the nation, as contrasted with leaders who
continue to bask in the on-going glorifying of position alone (Cetin, 2012).
Consensus has emerged in the research that a new approach is needed. For governance to flourish
and be considered good governance, it is of absolute necessity that leadership be visionary and
transformative (Cetin, 2012). Dartey-Baah (2014) suggested that the antidote is development of
effective transformative leadership if sustainable development is ever to be achieved. It is against
this background that this workplace individual assignment set out to discuss the role of
transformative leadership in dealing with challenges faced by the Kenyan public service, and; make
recommendations on how to develop a transformative leadership mindset among public officers.
SITUATION ANALYSIS
A situation analysis of the Kenyan public service gives a reflection of what Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. once said: “Any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not
concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them and the
social conditions that cripple them is a spiritually moribund religion awaiting burial”. The American
civil rights icon’s quote describes a situation that is not far from what the Kenyan public service is
currently engulfed in.
One case scenario is how Salaries and Remuneration Commission is locked in a legal tussle with
Members of Parliament (MPs) over the latter’s self-allocated Kshs. 250,000 house allowance on top
of a Kshs.20 Million mortgage. So hell-bent are the law makers on retaining the house allowance –
condemned by its critics as illegal – which they have sworn to use whatever means, including
reducing the SRC’s perks and budgetary allocation, to maintain the status quo. Although there is
something equally wrong with the commissioners’ Ksh.1 Million monthly allowance for part-time
services, the problem with MP’s approach to the issue is its motive – a display of lack of leadership.
The begging question is whether the MPs know that public servants’ salaries – specifically those of
top civil servants – make a mockery of the word ‘service’? An internet search of the meaning of
‘service’ brings up “an act of serving, occupation of an attendant servant”, a term dating back to
around 1200AD that defines "assistance, help; a helpful act” like the “provision of food”. Going by
the obnoxious salaries and other perks of top civil servants and employees of constitutional
institutions, the Kenyan public service is devoid of leadership – a concept that is concerned about
stepping into the gap, solving problems and unlocking people’s potential.
FINDING
The study found out that a stable and ethical public service is indispensable to the implementation
of good governance; and a positive legacy of the colonial system was a strong civil service
institution. But the on-going scarcity of skilled public service workers led to a full-blown decline by
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the late 1970s. Thus, a public service system that was initially effective soon fell victim to
patrimonialism that required obedience to the ruler rather than the rules (Erdmann & Engel, 2006).
This new colonialism or patrimonial-administrative approach has little regard for public service
processes in public administration because it allows leaders to function without accountability
through a system of tribal and ethnic patronage including monetary reward to consolidate and
maintain power for personal gain as opposed to societal gain (Kofele-Kale, 1978 as cited in Fourie
et al., 2015). This personal gain mind-set of government officials has led to a continued scourge of
corruption through unreasonable salaries of cabinet secretaries and members of parliament, the
diversion of resources needed for economic and social development, and the lack of integrity in
public service (Nasong’o, 2007).
This model of governance and government leadership has been ineffective and in disrepute for the
six decades of independence (Nyong’o, 2012). Scholars have thus suggested transformative
leadership as a path out of this conundrum and into government effectiveness, and have shown it
as a path to improved worker motivation and sustained high performance, institutional goal clarity,
overall improved outcomes, economic and social progress; and facilitation of a learning
organization culture whereby performance is improved through shared vision and goals (Dartey- Baah, 2014).
RECOMMENDATION
This paper’s recommendation on how to develop a transformative leadership mind-set among
public officers can be summarized as: Create an inspiring vision of the future; Motivate people to
buy into and deliver the vision; Manage delivery of the vision, and; Build ever-stronger, trust-based
relationships with your people. With regard to these recommendations, it is worth noting that at
the Kenya School of Government, a number of course participants have written on transformative
leadership examples in Kenya.
Other papers have been written as part of the transformational leadership curriculum. Some of the
papers have addressed key persons in Kenyan leadership as to their style of leadership and whether
it has transformative characteristics; other students have used real life examples from their own
workplaces in the public service to illustrate where transformative leadership is taking place and
its impact, and; others could have even used leaders from across Africa. The first recommendation
therefore is that these papers need to be read and analyzed relative to the transformative leadership
goals of Kenya Vision 2030. They could provide a ready resource for further investigation and
research.
Further research should be conducted concerning the impact of the transformative leadership
training, and; whether or not public service leaders who have attended the training have become
transformational leaders – that was beyond the scope of this study. This is left for future researchers
to interview alumni, survey a broad sample of public service personnel, or survey alumni of the
program.
This could provide a next step in documenting the impact of Kenya Vision 2030 on the broader goal
of public service reform. Kenya Vision 2030 should also be researched as to its impact on a broader
scale than just public service reform. It has already had a huge impact on the Kenyan society in
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Onyango, M. A. (2020). Role Of Transformative Leadership In Dealing With Challenges Faced By The Kenyan Public Service. Advances in Social Sciences
Research Journal, 7(7) 732-738.
terms of completed implemented projects such as roads, airports, and services (Government of the
Republic of Kenya, 2013b, 2014). However, this has not been researched.
An effective leadership strategy makes the difference between an organization that flourishes and
one that fails. A lot of effort goes into identifying which approach a leader should take in order to
make the biggest impact. This paper proceeds to recommend how public officers should develop
transformative leadership mind-set by suggesting tips the officers should use to explore
transformational leadership and learn the ways they can apply its methods to their workplace.
First, Work on Yourself as a Leader: Before you can start making changes to your team and your
organization, it’s important to look at how you function as a leader. Successful transformational
leaders are empathetic, charismatic, and inspirational. Empathize–Take the time to sit down and
get to know the people you work with on an individual level and in a context that’s broader than
just their role in your organization. Be charismatic—tactics of charisma include being present in
every situation, neutralizing negative thoughts, dressing to impress, body language, and more.
Inspiration–at the centre of all this advice is simply the idea that you must approach every situation
with the greater good of the organization in mind. Leaders who truly conquer this skill naturally
create a level of trust and accountability among their team, which allows those being led to feel safe
and secure in choosing to follow.
Secondly, Create the Proper Culture in Your Workplace: Company culture is an increasingly
important aspect of an employee’s overall work experience. For that reason, employers tend to put
a lot of time and energy into establishing a work environment that their employees can enjoy,
incorporating perks, events, and benefits in an effort to make each individual feel appreciated by
the organization and thus motivated to work harder. Collaboration—Transformational leadership
is based on the idea that all employees should be working together towards a singular, common
goal within an organization. Innovation—More often than not, the most creative ideas will come
from employees within your organization who are spending the most time with your product or
services every day. Communication—Ensure that every member of your team not only feels
comfortable enough to voice their opinions and share their innovative ideas, but that they know
what they have to say will be heard and valued.
Finally, Practice Identifying and Facilitating Core Values: The first (and often most significantly)
impact a transformational leader can make occurs by defining and clarifying an organization’s
values. This may come in the form of cleaning or updating its mission and vision statements or
simply ensuring there is a clear difference between the two. Transformational leaders can step into
a new organization, identify what isn’t working, and come up with a strategy and set of
recommendations to solve it.
POLICY IMPLICATION
The strategic and visionary plan detailed in Kenya Vision 2030 has the potential to bring positive
social change for the nation and its citizens. The potential impact for social change is that the
training of transformative leaders in Kenya can lead to improved services for the citizens of Kenya,
can mitigate and eliminate corruption from the public service through building leaders of integrity,
and can improve the economy of Kenya as suggested in the literature.
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It can also model a process and progress for other African developing countries. Kenya has been
looked to as a leader in Africa in terms of the growth of its economy that moved from an almost
negative gross domestic product in 2002 to 7% growth by 2007 (Majeed, 2012). This study can
potentially add to the mystique of Kenya so that other developing countries will come and study its
strategic plan and its development process in the same manner that Kenyans went to Malaysia and
Singapore. Discussions in this Workplace Individual Assignment have contributed to this possible
scenario through the case study of the Kenyan public service.
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Research Journal, 7(7) 732-738.
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