Three Consecutive ‘Very Good’ Ratings Put Institute on Course for Excellence

By Lisper Mokaya and Diana Okello

Sustained performance is a mark of institutional discipline, but the pursuit of excellence demands even greater ambition. For the Institute, a third consecutive ‘Very Good’ rating in the FY 2025/2026 Public Service Performance Evaluation is both a testament to its consistency and a springboard for higher achievement.

Building on this record, the Institute is now sharpening its focus on strengthening accountability, enhancing service delivery and driving institutional performance towards the coveted ‘Excellent’ rating.

The evaluation, conducted by the Public Service Performance Management Unit (PSPMU) on last Monday, 2^nd November 2026, awarded KEMRI an improved composite score of 2.8860, building on scores of 2.9488 in FY 2023/2024 and 2.8954 in FY 2024/2025. The scores reflect a steady improvement in performance over the three years.

The PSPMU uses an inverted five-point rating scale, where 1.00 represents Excellent and 5.00 represents Poor. Consequently, a lower score indicates better performance.

The evaluation assesses public institutions against key performance areas, including financial management, service delivery, research outputs and compliance with government policies and directives. For KEMRI, the assessment provides an opportunity to take stock of its institutional performance, identify areas requiring improvement and strengthen its contribution to scientific research and innovation for better health.

During the evaluation close-out session, the team leader, Mr. Macharia Warothe, commended KEMRI for its cooperation and commitment throughout the evaluation process. He noted that the Institute demonstrated commendable institutional collaboration and that most factors affecting its final score were beyond its direct control.

He encouraged KEMRI to build on its strengths, address areas within its control and aim for an even higher score in the next evaluation, expressing confidence that the Institute had the potential to achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating.

The remarks followed the presentation of the evaluation findings by Mr. Warothe, alongside Mr. Tole Mwanyika and Mr. Edwin Omondi. The session brought together KEMRI Directors, Deputy Directors and Performance Contract Champions from various Directorates.

Following the presentation, the Acting Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Elijah Songok, commended staff for their collective contribution to the Institute’s consistent performance. He challenged the various Directorates to take greater ownership of their performance commitments and translate the evaluation findings into tangible improvements.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to every member of the KEMRI team for playing an integral role in achieving this milestone. We have demonstrated consistency in our performance over the past three years, but we must now raise the bar and strive towards attaining an ‘Excellent’ rating,” said Prof. Songok.

He emphasized the need for Directorates to take deliberate action on indicators that recorded weaker performance by addressing identified gaps, strengthening implementation and delivering measurable results. He noted that improving the Institute’s overall performance requires accountability at every level, with respective Directorates taking responsibility for their commitments and ensuring that areas requiring attention are adequately addressed.

Prof. Songok further urged staff to remain focused, work collaboratively and embrace a culture of continuous improvement as the Institute begins the next performance cycle.

“Let us remain focused, work deliberately and strive to achieve even greater heights in the coming year. In our continuous quest for better health, we must address areas of weakness, embrace continuous improvement and appreciate the lessons learnt throughout the evaluation process,” he added.

The Directorate of Strategy and Compliance (DSC), which coordinates the Institute’s performance management function, was represented by a delegation led by the Acting Director, Mr. Edwin Bett, accompanied by the Acting Deputy Director, Performance Management, Monitoring and Evaluation Department, Ms. Diana Okello. The Directorate provides oversight and technical guidance on performance monitoring and evaluation across the Institute.

As KEMRI moves into the next performance cycle, the focus will be on consolidating the gains made, addressing identified gaps and strengthening accountability for results. With three consecutive ‘Very Good’ ratings, the Institute has demonstrated sustained progress. The next milestone is to translate this consistency into an ‘Excellent’ rating while advancing its mandate of research for better health.