WATER SECTOR REFORMS AND EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY AT LAKE VICTORIA NORTH WATER SERVICES BOARD, KENYA

Abstract

The Water Act 2002 of the Government of Kenya established various water institutions to replace the Ministry of Water and Irrigation and NWCPC in direct water services provision and sewerage services. Following the creation of the new water corporations, a number of employees of Ministry of Water and Irrigation and NWCPC were deployed to these new water institutions. The restructuring of the water sector caused changes in organization culture that may have affected the employee productivity.  This calls for the study into the symptomatic problems associated with the reforms at Lake Victoria North Water Services Board (LVNWSB).  The objectives of the study were to establish the effect of water sector reforms on employee productivity at LVNWSB, to assess the influence of water sector reforms on employee productivity at LVNWSB, to examine the effects of selected contextual factors on employee productivity at LVNWSB and suggest appropriate strategies of implementing change in government owned organizations. In this study the water sector reforms were independent variables and employee productivity were dependent variables. Contextual factors included managerial, facilitating and supportive factors. Cross sectional data analysis technique was used with a sample size of 115 from a population of 380 drawn from five zones of Lake Victoria North Water Services Board. The effects of water sector reforms on employee productivity were estimated by the Ordinary Least Square method. Descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution and percentages were used to facilitate the change of raw data into a form that is easy to understand and interpret. Descriptive survey research design was used since it aims at describing an existing phenomenon. The researcher carried out pilot testing in Rift Valley Water Services Board in Nakuru Headquarters office by random sampling. During the questionnaire’s construction, quality control and validity was ensured. Reliability was checked through test/re-test method where the researcher carried out two different tests using the same tool. The two tests were subjected to the same group of people but after a difference of two weeks. The survey instrument was subjected to overall reliability analysis. The analyzed data was presented using statistical tables and graphs. The employees were not satisfied with the reforms which negatively impacted on their productivity. The reforms influenced the employee’s attitude and perceptions negatively which in turn influenced employee productivity. Contextual factors positively influenced employee productivity. The research findings would provide knowledge to the managers of Lake Victoria North Water Services Board in implementing the water sector reforms so as to improve employee performance.