Chief Justice Martha Koome has urged four newly appointed public officials to approach their new roles with humility, integrity and a clear sense of responsibility to Kenyans.
Koome spoke during a swearing-in ceremony at which new officials took up positions at the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
Duncan Ojwang was sworn in as chairperson of IPOA, while Flora Nduku Mutua took the oath as a member of the PSC.
Antonina Lentoijoni and Wilson Sossion were sworn in as members of the TSC.
In her address, Koome reminded the officials that public office should be judged by the difference it makes in people’s lives, rather than by the power attached to a position.
“I want to remind you that the measure of public office is not the authority it confers, but the difference that it makes in the lives of people,” she said.
The Chief Justice said the officials had a duty to protect the public trust placed in them.
She urged them to serve Kenyans faithfully and impartially, while maintaining the standards of integrity required by the Constitution.
Koome also challenged the new office holders to think about the institutions they had been entrusted with and the legacy they would leave behind.
She called on them to ensure the institutions were stronger when they left than when they took charge.
“I therefore urge you to carry this responsibility with humility, courage, and an unwavering commitment to the Constitution,” Koome said.
The remarks come as the four officials begin their respective terms in institutions responsible for policing oversight, public service and the management of Kenya’s teaching profession.
For Koome, the test of their leadership will ultimately lie not in the authority that comes with their offices, but in how they use it in service of the public.
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