Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has urged all public servants in the country to remain committed to delivering efficient and quality services to members of the public.
CS Ruku spoke on Thursday morning after making an impromptu visit to the Northeastern regional headquarters in Garissa.
During the impromptu visit, Ruku said he found many public officers absent from their work stations long after the official reporting time.
He regretted that there were only the police officers and one officer in the regional commissioner’s office who had reported to work on time, keeping a dozen citizens waiting outside for service.
“As a minister for public service, I am very disappointed this morning. I am at the regional offices which coordinate the entire Northeastern region of the republic of Kenya in Garissa and all the government offices which are supposed to be opened at 7:30 in the morning as per the human resource procedures manual of 2016, were closed,” Ruku said.
He noted that increasing cases of lateness and absenteeism among some public servants are undermining service delivery and weakening government efforts to improve efficiency in public offices.
“It is unacceptable for wananchi to arrive early seeking government services only to find empty offices and unattended desks. Kenyans deserve timely, efficient and quality services,” he said.
He emphasized that Kenyans deserve high-quality public services, noting that civil servants are paid through taxpayers’ money, which also funds the operations of public offices and government programmes.
The CS further warned that strict action would be taken against government officers through the respective human resource managers in the regions.
“The President is keen on ensuring effective service delivery as enshrined in the Constitution. Moving forward, the Ministry will take stern action against officers unwilling to work in accordance with public service regulations,” he said.
He expressed concern that even after the government had increased basic salaries, commuter allowances, and housing allowances, some public servants still reported to work late.
“The government has already improved the welfare of public servants through salary increments and enhanced allowances. There is therefore no reason for officers not to offer quality and timely services to Kenyans,” he stated.
However, he noted that the government remains committed to increasing the salaries of all civil servants starting from 1st July 2026, in line with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the civil service union and the government.
