Chemelil Sugar Chalks Improved Performance Contract Score, in Evaluation by Government Evaluation Agency

BY BOSCO MAGARE, CHEMELIL

CHEMELIL SUGAR has registered an improved Performance Contract (PC) score, following evaluation of all Company PC contracted targets for the financial year 2022-2023, by Government Public Service Performance Management Services (PSPMS), with headquarters at Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC).

The evaluation of all Company PC targets for the financial year under review was undertaken by PSPMS Assistant Director Vincent Sitei, during a vigorous one-day exercise at the Company’s Boardroom. PSPMS Assistant Director cum PC evaluator says the evaluation exercise commenced at the Boardroom after confirming that the Company had fulfilled four stipulated Performance Contract evaluation guidelines.

“I have come to moderate the Company’s PC for the period under review 2022-2023. And, I want to see what score you have given yourself as a Company and confirm whether it is in tandem with the documented evidence provided,” Sitei explains.

Sitei points out that the following PC evaluation guidelines must be adhered to before the exercise begins: representation of Company Board of Directors in the evaluation exercise, including top Management Team; Chemelil Sugar must have undertaken a PC self-evaluation exercise and furnished the Performance Contractor moderator with documentary evidence supporting the achievement of all Company contracted PC targets.

The moderator further says according to the PC evaluation methodology for all Government entities that are evaluated, including Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, among them parastatals like Chemelil Sugar, their performance must lie between the scale of 1 to 5.

At the end of the PC evaluation exercise, Sitei says Chemelil Sugar has achieved an improved score of 3.8164 and “what is remaining is for us to conclude this exercise with the signing ceremony,” Sitei further says.

“This is a marginal improvement from Chemelil Sugar Company’s PC evaluation score of 3.899, registered during the last financial year 2021-2022 evaluation exercise,” says the PC moderator.

The PC moderator advises that Chemelil Sugar Company should strive to improve particularly on its contracted financial indicator, including settlement of Company pending bills and those related to factory production.

Chemsugar News has obtained the general Company scores in all 2022-2023 PC contracted areas and is able to confirm that Chemelil Sugar Company has scored impressively in PC target indicators such as Citizen Service Delivery, attaining a score of 90 percent, including the Resolution of Public Complaints PC indicator.

The PC moderator urges the Company Management to strive to improve in its contracted PC targets relating to financials, including settlement of pending bills, factory performance, and sugar production. However, Sitei is confident that the Company’s 2022-2023 PC evaluation score is poised to further improve, as the Company is pursuing three appeals with relevant Government agencies for unfair scores awarded relating to the following PC indicators: Business Process Re-engineering (BPR), Asset and Liability Register status, and National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA).

Company Acting Head of Finance Steven Aluoch decries the severe cane scarcity that Chemelil Sugar Company experienced during the last two quarters of the 2022-2023 PC review period for contributing to the Company’s 2022-2023 PC score of 3.8164, and says that “if the Company did not experience severe cane scarcity during the last two PC quarters, we would have scored very highly.”

In closing remarks, at the conclusion of moderation of Chemelil Sugar Company’s PC 2022-2023 evaluation exercise, Company Interim Managing Director Jacqueline Kotonya says, “Going by the PC moderator’s evaluation report, there is a lot that as a Company, we need to do to obtain a much better PC evaluation score.” Speaking during the exercise, Company Board Chairman Eng. John Nyambok notes that the Government PC exercise is important for the Company and all other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and states that “without monitoring of Company operations and programmes through the contracted PC targets, we cannot improve our performance.”

“We need to put efforts in all the Company contracted PC targets, including areas we consider less important,” the Board Chairman urges Company Management and employees.

Eng. Nyambok recalls that during the launch of the 2022-2023 PC at Kenya School of Government (KSG), the Government put a lot of emphasis on the importance of the Performance Contract programme.

“All Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are required to perform. We must perform. If we don’t perform, then we as the Chemelil Sugar Company Board of Directors will be axed by the Government for non-performance,” Eng. Nyambok warns.

The Board Chairman says the Government is very strict on service delivery and particularly on indulgence in corruption by officers mandated to manage various MDAs. There is a department in the Ministry of National Treasury that is mandated to monitor activities of all heads of MDAs and adds that “the Government needs zero tolerance in corruption. Therefore, those caught in corrupt deeds will be dealt with severely.”

Eng. Nyambok says as Board Chairman, he is optimistic that the current Chemelil Sugar Company Top Management team is capable and can be relied upon by the firm’s Board of Directors to make a great difference in the Company’s performance.

The Board Chairman points out that analysis of PC statistics relating to Chemelil Sugar Company reveals that in the PC evaluation review period of 2009-2010, the Company scored a remarkable PC score of 3.2, adding that “the Company’s Tonnes Cane & Tonnes Sugar (TC/TS) ratio was high, at about a TC/TS ratio of 9.”

He notes that President William Ruto is particularly concerned about MDAs Performance Contract (PC) and further recalls the warning by Head of Public Service Felix Kosgey that Boards of MDAs that don’t perform will be sacked.

“There are things which as a Company we can do during this period of the factory shut-down. Let us carry out servicing maintenance in areas that do not necessarily need funds. And let us fabricate internally. Let us not merely wait for factory maintenance money,” the Company Board Chairman exhorts Management and employees, adding that “take this Company as your own Company so that you can leave a good legacy at Chemelil Sugar Company.”

“Convey the Company Board of Directors and Management’s sincere greetings to the Ministry you represent,” Eng. Nyambok informs the PC moderator Sitei.

“And, thank you all, particularly the Company Top Management for participating in this PC evaluation exercise. I wish you God’s protection and inspiration so as to think much better and be more innovative in turning around the Company’s performance,” the Company Board Chairman urges Company Management and employees.

The signing of the 2022-2023 PC evaluation score was done by the Board Chairman and Board Director who chairs the Finance and Human Resource Committee Mary Simat in a ceremony witnessed by Public Service Performance Management Services Assistant Director Sitei, Chemelil Sugar Company Interim Managing Director Kotonya, Acting Head of Factory Joseph Kiilu, Acting Head of Human Resource Constance Webale, Acting Head of Agriculture Jorim Osewe, and Acting Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs Esther Ng’etuny.

Other top Company Management officials in attendance to witness the PC evaluation score signing ceremony include Supply Chain Manager Japheth Ojwang’, Acting Security Manager Francis Ndiema, Legal Officer Pauline Akello, Company Performance Contract Chairman cum Strategy Manager Moffat Omondi, Strategy Section Officer Alfred Kiprop, PC Secretariat officials Isaac Chepsiror, who is also Acting Outgrowers Accountant, and Bosco Magare, also Acting Corporate Affairs Manager.