Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Human Capital Development, and Special Programmes, Geoffrey Ruku, has issued a stern warning to civil servants: punctuality and diligent service are no longer optional. His remarks come after a series of impromptu visits to government offices across the country, which revealed a "worrying trend of late reporting and absenteeism."
Speaking emphatically in Samburu, CS Ruku announced a groundbreaking initiative set to transform accountability within the civil service. All public servants will now be required to install a new, mandatory mobile application on their personal phones. This innovative app is designed to meticulously track their location and activities during working hours, providing an unprecedented level of oversight.
"I want to urge all public servants to serve Kenyans diligently and get to their workstations on time. I have visited various places and noticed a worrying trend of late reporting and absenteeism,” Ruku stated. He emphasized that the app will precisely record reporting and departure times from workstations, enabling the government to monitor attendance with unprecedented accuracy.
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The Cabinet Secretary further elaborated on the capabilities of the forthcoming digital tool. "The ministry has embarked on a project to develop a mobile application which every civil servant in the Republic will be required to download. It will enable us to know whether you are at your workstation, on leave, attending a workshop, and what you are doing, what time you reported and what time you left, whether you're on maternity or paternity leave,” Ruku explained. This comprehensive tracking aims to ensure that every public shilling spent on salaries translates into tangible work and service delivery.
Ruku's motivation stems directly from his recent on-the-ground observations. He recounted frustrating incidents, such as finding government offices in places like Nyeri locked at 8 AM, with citizens patiently waiting outside, eager for services. This direct experience appears to have solidified his resolve to enforce stricter discipline.
The CS insisted that accountability is a non-negotiable for anyone drawing a salary from the government. "Anyone drawing a salary from the government must be responsible, just as the President is responsible. Everyone must take their job seriously; that is the only way we can develop our nation."
Earlier this week, Ruku had already set a firm precedent by warning that civil servants found reporting late or being absent from work would henceforth be classified and treated as "ghost workers." This is a severe designation, often implying fraudulent drawing of salaries for non-existent or absent employees. “We cannot continue paying salaries to people who don’t do any meaningful work,” he asserted. “Everyone working in any government office who fails to report to work on time, or reports and then disappears, will be treated as a ghost worker.”
