Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has reiterated the government’s firm commitment to instilling a culture of meritocracy and performance-based service delivery across all sectors of the public service.

Speaking during an interview on Morning Cafe on TV47, CS Ruku revealed that he had received direct instructions from President William Ruto to ensure that job placements and promotions within the public service are strictly based on merit, qualifications, and experience. “People are going to get jobs and promoted on merit. Employment will not be based on who you know,” he emphasized.

Ruku also recalled the era of President Mwai Kibaki, when performance contracting was taken seriously, promising to bring back that level of accountability. “We must monitor performance contracts. If the contracts are not met, there should be consequences,” he stated.

On the role of the National Youth Service (NYS), the CS announced a bold new direction aimed at commercializing NYS services to boost self-sufficiency and create employment. He highlighted ongoing NYS projects such as the cultivation of 300 acres of maize in Yatta and the production of 300,000 Hass avocado seedlings valued at over KSh60 million.

The CS explained, “This is the direction we will be taking offering engineering, security, manufacturing, agriculture, and hospitality services that generate income.”

To improve access to government services, Ruku disclosed that Huduma Centres will be expanded to cover every sub-county in the country. “Each and every sub-county in Kenya will have a Huduma Centre, so that Kenyans can access government services efficiently and effectively,” he said.

However, he acknowledged the strain on current resources, citing Thika Huduma Centre where civil servants work extended hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to meet demand. “We are overworking them because the work is too much. But if we had more resources, we would have employed more staff,” Ruku admitted.