CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICES AND PERFORMANCE OF STATE CORPORATIONS IN KENYA: CASE STUDY OF KENYA NATIONAL ACCREDITATION SERVICES
Brendar Akwera Mutoka - Student, Masters in Public Policy and Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Jane Njoroge - Lecturer, Department of Public Policy and Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
The research’s overarching goal is to explore how different governance systems have affected the efficiency and effectiveness of Kenya's state-owned enterprises. The research’s overarching goals are to determine how integrity, justice, openness, and accountability affect the efficiency and effectiveness of Kenya's state-owned enterprises. The research was anchored on stewardship theory, resource dependence theory and agency theory. A descriptive research survey was utilized in this research. The target population comprised 130 employees working at Kenya National Accreditation Services (KENAS). The stratified sampling technique was utilized to select 98 participants. Questionnaires were utilized to gather main data for the research. The questionnaires included open-ended or closed-ended. To reach the intended participants in the state business sector, the research used a drop-and-pick methodology for questionnaire distribution. The study used the test-retest procedure to find out how reliable the surveys are. In order to conclude that the data gathering instruments are legitimate, a coefficient greater than 0.7 is required. Coding, cleaning, and categorization of field data were done in accordance with questionnaire questions. Software called SPSS version 21 version was used to aid the analysis. The research utilized both descriptive and inferential statistics in the analysis of gathered data. Descriptive data was used to sum up the demographics of the company and the people who answered the survey. To do this, mean scores, the standard deviation, and percentages were used. Inferential statistics were used to find out how important the independent and dependent factors are and how they are related to each other. Tables, graphs, and were used to display the data. The results established that a significance level of p = 0.001which indicates that the results are statistically significant at conventional levels (p < 0.05). This low p-value suggests strong evidence implying that the corporate governance practices of accountability, transparency, fairness, and integrity significantly influence the performance of KNAS. The study concluded that accountability, transparency, fairness, and integrity are not just abstract governance ideals, but concrete pillars that significantly influence the performance of Kenya National Accreditation Services. Effective implementation of these practices can enhance service delivery, institutional reputation, and operational efficiency. The study recommended that Government of Kenya should prioritize the institutionalization of robust accountability mechanisms within KENAS and across other state corporations. This includes the development and enforcement of clear performance metrics, regular auditing processes, and transparent reporting systems. The stakeholders such as board members, institutional partners, and employees of KENAS, there is a need to champion and practice the principle of fairness in all organizational engagements.