Dissertation (MA Public Administration)This research aimed at investigating the impacts of centralized recruitment system on staff retention and service delivery. The specific objectives of this study were to assess the modus operandi of the system, the factors for the shift from decentralized to centralized and the effects of the centralized system. In order to study problem, triangulation of research design was made. In which both the case study and cross sectional design were used. The study used a sample of 50 respondents whom were staff that were sampled randomly. The data collection was done through interviews where questionnaires were used. The pilot study was carried out before embarking on a comprehensive data collection. The qualitative data analysis was made through the use of SPSS. Based on the study it was found first the employers and the secretariat play a partnership type of operation in the recruitment, where the overall functions rest on the secretariat and the employer provides the technical support. The shift to centralized system was due to political, corruption and efficiency push. On the other hand the system has been faced with a number of challenges including high operational costs, lacks royalty for the new staff and high turnover for the new staff. It was therefore recommended that the government devise the recruitment policy to be able to improve service delivery and minimize costs. In addition, the government should empower the district to carry out the recruitment process according to the goals of the D by D policy.