By Immaculate Wafula and Ally Jamah, Practical Action
This article was originally published on Citizen Digital
Kenya has made significant strides in promoting gender equality within its energy sector, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Practical Action and ENERGIA. Their partnership led to the development and launch of the National Gender Policy for the Ministry of Energy in 2019, followed by a comprehensive gender audit of semi-autonomous government agencies (SAGAs) in 2024. These milestones were made possible by a supportive policy environment, notably the government’s adoption of performance contracting in 2003, which mandated the tracking of gender equality initiatives. However, two years ago, the Government ceased tracking gender-equality efforts. Practical Action’s Immaculate Wafula and Ally Jamah argue that this decision threatens to reverse two decades of progress in empowering women in public service and that reinstatement of gender targets is pivotal.
Two years ago, the Government of Kenya ceased tracking gender-equality efforts through performance contracts of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). That decision has slowed nearly two decades of steady progress in advancing women’s empowerment within the public sector. It’s time to reverse that decision.
Reinstating gender targets in performance contracts would reaffirm Kenya’s constitutional commitments, Vision 2030 goals, and obligations under the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals. It would also strengthen evidence-based planning and budgeting and enhance Kenya’s standing in regional and global gender-equality rankings.
Performance contracting is a strategic approach reintroduced in 2003 to improve service delivery, align institutions with national goals, and ensure accountability to citizens. Each MDA signs a legally binding contract committing to meet specific and measurable targets. Senior officials, including Principal Secretaries, chief executives, and department heads, bear full responsibility for achieving agreed outcomes. The government publishes an annual Public Service Performance Evaluation Report ranking MDAs based on their scores against targets. Low performance ratings attract public scrutiny, administrative sanctions, and political pressure. Such consequences drive leaders to prioritise meeting their targets.
For many years, gender equality has been a core component of these contracts, with targets progressively refined to reflect evolving priorities and commitments. Institutions submitted annual reports on gender work plans, budgets, policies, and staff numbers and positions by gender, reinforcing transparency. This tool kept gender considerations at the centre of public service planning and budgeting. To elevate the visibility of gender achievements and foster positive competition within the MDAs, the State Department for Gender and the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) have consistently recognised top performers on gender empowerment during International Women’s Day celebrations.
In the 2023/24 performance contracting cycle, however, the government retired the gender indicator. Instead, institutions now send non-binding progress reports to the Gender Department and NGEC every two years.
This has sent the wrong signal that gender empowerment is no longer an essential objective in government. Without clear, enforceable targets, MDA leaders may give less attention to this vital issue. Media reports suggest that the decision to drop the gender mainstreaming indicator was taken during a stakeholder forum of MDAs reviewing the performance contracting process. The rationale was that the indicator had served its purpose and gender mainstreaming was now entrenched across institutions. However, this explanation doesn’t match the reality on the ground.
Evidence shows that maintaining gender targets matters. Practical Action, an international development organisation, with support from ENERGIA, reviewed gender mainstreaming in semi-autonomous agencies under the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum. Its 2024 report found that gender targets in performance contracts were instrumental in driving the implementation of gender action plans, securing budgets, and elevating gender equality as a key institutional priority. It noted that their removal risked draining momentum and undoing critical gains.
