Staff locked out as CS Ruku makes impromptu visit to Rift Valley headquarters

Several members of staff at the Rift Valley regional headquarters were locked out of the main gate on Monday after Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku made an impromptu visit.

Ruku arrived at the regional headquarters at 8am and instructed security officers to lock the gates.

He then proceeded to visit the offices, many of which remained locked, while those that were open had very few staff.

“I came here at 8am and instructed those gates to be closed. I have been to most of these offices, and they are empty, and it is almost like that in all headquarters across the country,” he said.

The CS said he people of Kenya are demanding a lot from the government and it is the public servants who are supposed to help the government to deliver.

“We are supposed to be in our offices at the right time and we must have the right attitude. If we get it wrong even the services we offer to the people will be wrong. The people of Kenya are demanding a lot from the government, beginning with the President to you civil servants.

How do you want the president to fulfil the promises he made to the people of Kenya if you are not discharging your duties. The President cannot come and sit in all these offices. He depends on you to ensure services are offered timely and efficiently, but with this kind of attitude, we may not help the government of Kenya,” Ruku said.

He insisted that the right attitude in government offices must be instilled.

While he acknowledged that there are challenges in public service, especially in relation to training and motivation, among others, CS Ruku said the government is working to resolve them.

He noted that there is a policy proposal that is yet to be discussed in cabinet that will bring transformational changes to a number of issues in public service.

“Bearing in mind all these challenges, we have a job to do and we have to be committed. We have to familiarise ourselves with Article 232 of our constitution that talks about the values and principles of public service, including high standards of professional ethics and efficient, effective and economic use of resources.”

CS Ruku thanked officials from the few offices that had staff in on time, including the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the Regional Coordinator of Probation, the Immigration office and the Regional Surveyor.

In other offices, only those on attachment were found to have arrived on time.