Govt orders ethnic balance in public service

The bust of President Mwai Kibaki is displayed at one of the stands as members of the public learn some of the Administration Police operations during the opening of the public service week at the KICC October 13,2009. Photo/HEZRON NJOROGE

The government has ordered heads of public institutions to uphold ethnic balance when recruiting public servants.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga warned that the government would no longer tolerate a trend where tribalism and nepotism is allowed to influence appointments in the civil service.

“We do not want a situation where all officers from the top to the bottom come from one tribe,” said Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno who introduced the subject.

Mr Otieno, who was inviting the Prime Minister to officially launch the Public Service Week at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) Comesa grounds on Tuesday asked heads of public institutions to urgently develop a work plan that will see all appointments to their respective institutions reflecting the face of Kenya.

“If you are the head of a government department, a state corporation or a public institution where appointments do not reflect the face of Kenya, always think about it when you wake up every morning. Come up with a clear action plan that can show us that you are doing something about it,” said the minister.

Picking up the subject when he rose to address the gathering, Mr Odinga warned that the government will no longer allow tribalists and those who practice nepotism to manage public institutions.

“We are focusing seriously on issues of tribalism and nepotism in government. Nepotism and tribalism are the new monsters we have to deal with in public service. We are keen to create a government that all Kenyan communities feel they are part of,” the PM stated.

To achieve this, the government will apply open and competitive hiring, Mr Odinga added.

The subject had also been addressed at the function by the chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC), Mr Titus Gateere who decried a growing trend where certain regions and communities never forwarded their graduates for recruitment to the civil service whenever opportunities arose.

Mr Gateere warned that such regions and communities risked being left out when key appointments to civil service are made in future.

“It means that these areas may not produce top civil servants like Permanent Secretaries in 20 years to come if they are not represented at the entry level,” he stated.

The PM also put corrupt and incompetent civil servants on notice, warning that they will no longer be allowed to “mark time” in the civil service.

“We have made it clear that public servants who frequent the altar of corruption and incompetence will have to look for jobs elsewhere,” he said.

He charged members of the public to report to the government whenever they encounter corrupt and incompetent public officers or those that practice tribalism and nepotism.

“I encourage our citizens to raise the red flag whenever they see rules being flouted, corruption, tribalism and nepotism being practiced and services being delivered in a shoddy manner,” the PM said.

Towards delivering services to the public in an efficient and fast manner, the PM said the government was computerizing its services in various sectors.

The sectors targeted include the Immigration and Registration of Persons department, the education ministry and the Public Service Commission (PSC).

This way, the government hopes to expedite the issuance of birth certificates and provision of identity cards, the issuance of examination results and applications for public service jobs, Mr Odinga explained.

The government, the PM said, had also directed the Public Procurement Oversight Authority to begin monthly publication of al public tenders with details such as the tender sums, the winners of tenders and details of delayed projects including the names of contractors and the cost of the delays.

This will help eradicate corruption in the tendering process so rife in government today, the PM explained.

The function was attended by the head of Public Service, Francis Muthaura and cabinet ministers Fred Gumo and Henry Kosgey and several Permanent Secretaries. The Public Service Week runs until Thursday during which time members of the public will have occasion to interact and demand services from various government ministries and departments which have all set up exhibition stands at the Comesa grounds.