HR Professionals Want Included in Government Boards to Drive ‘Singapore Dream’
By Mbungu Harrison
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
The Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM) is banking on policy reforms and greater inclusion of human resource experts in public decision-making to steer the sector’s growth and support the government’s long-term development goals.
Speaking during the 12th National HRM Congress in Mombasa, IHRM national chair Odero Philip Dalmas called for accountability and higher professional standards in people management.
“Transformation doesn’t happen by chance. It happens when those in positions take responsibility by themselves,” he said.
Odero urged the government to second IHRM officers to boards and top leadership positions to help shape public service reforms.
“We appeal to the government to consider our professionals in appointments to various organs of government, for the realization of the Singapore dream,” he said.
The three-day congress, held from May 26 to 28, 2026, brought together more than 1,200 HR practitioners from across the country.
IHRM executive director Quresha Abdullahi said HR professionals should be included in technical decision-making forums in both public and private sectors to strengthen human capital management.
“We advocate for the increment of human capital within government and the inclusion of HR in technical decision-making forums,” she said. “We also call for strengthened ethical transformation through innovation.”
Ms Abdullahi asked national and county governments to support initiatives that advance human capital sustainability.
She also set a May 31, 2025 deadline for practitioners without qualifications to renew their membership and comply with professional standards.
“We want to stop passing the blame, and we can only do that by the work we do. As we measure impact, we want to know what it is that we ought to do,” she said.
The congress focused on ethical leadership, talent development, and positioning HR as a key driver of organizational performance and national development.
At the same time public service cabinet secretary Geoffrey Ruku urged murged HR professionals to uphold integrity and help government seal revenue leakages.
“I challenge all of us as HR leaders to streamline recruitment and performance management, and to ensure workforce structures adapt to changing environments,” he said.
Ruku singled out management of the public wage bill as a critical issue, warning against irregular payments, duplicated payslips and ghost workers.
“Irregular payments, duplicated payslips and ghost workers are areas where public resources are lost,” he said.
He cited the police service, saying there were scenarios where officers continued drawing salaries despite being off the payroll.
The CS assured HR professionals of government support but told public servants to deliver services efficiently.
“Public servants from all ministries must ensure we do what is right and offer the right services to Kenyans.”
He asked HR managers to deal with sexual harassment cased that are reported at their desks.
Some of these cases should not be tolerated in our station whether in NGO, private sector, and in government,” he said.
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