Kuria Unveils Ambitious Plan to Revamp Public Service in Kenya

Samwel Eviator

The newly appointed Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Performance, and Delivery Management, Moses Kuria, has announced a comprehensive 10-point strategy aimed at rejuvenating and enhancing public service delivery across Kenya.

The plan, unveiled on X platform, offers a glimpse into the future of government accountability and public service excellence.

In a statement, Mr. Kuria emphasized the government’s commitment to involving the public in decision-making processes.

He said, “Our vision is to enhance government accountability to the public, and we plan to achieve this through the implementation of ‘Wajibika Town Hall Forums,’ which will be conducted in collaboration with all ministries across every county.”

Kuria also revealed that a groundbreaking digital tool will be introduced to monitor the performance contracts, project delivery, and the individual performance of over 90,000 public servants. He promised that the findings would be shared with the public on a monthly basis, ensuring transparency and accountability.

“We will implement a digital Ombudsman tool known as Pasha for the public to report all cases of denial of or poor service by national and county government institutions,” he stated. “All such incidents will be made available for public and media scrutiny.”

One of the standout initiatives of the plan involves transforming the National Youth Service (NYS) into a hub of hope for young people. Kuria explained, “We aim to make the NYS a mandatory leadership college for those who will be absorbed into public service and disciplined forces. The NYS will also become the contractor of choice for national and county governments, as well as the private sector, in Kenya and abroad. We plan to recruit 100,000 youths directly every year and create an ecosystem of 1 million indirect jobs.”

Another exciting prospect is the plan to make Kenya a thought leader in governance. This involves converting the Kenya School of Government into the African School of Government, which will take the lead in emerging issues like climate action and green finance across the continent.

Making the Government Work for the People pic.twitter.com/83sfcJ29p2

— CS Moses Kuria (@HonMoses_Kuria) October 20, 2023

To modernize the public service, Kuria’s strategy includes replacing older public servants with young Kenyans. He aims to maintain an 80:20 ratio between technical staff and support staff, ensuring a dynamic and efficient public service.

Perhaps one of the most revolutionary aspects of this plan is the commitment to providing equal opportunities for all Kenyans.

“We will give every Kenyan an opportunity to work for the government irrespective of social, economic, or political status,” Kuria announced.

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“This will be achieved through a digital, transparent, and verifiable hiring tool that will distribute available opportunities across the country. We also seek to enjoin the Private Sector and Overseas recruiters to use the same transparent platform for jobs and internships under the mantra ‘Jobo Bila Connection.'” He added.