Huduma Centre working hours extended to 7 p.m.

What you need to know:

  • Two Huduma Centres within the city centre have been targeted by CS Margaret Kobia's directive.
  • The move comes just a week after network failure left thousands of Huduma Centre customers unable to access key services countrywide,
  • Previously, the centres which were launched in 2013 to improve access to basic government services operated from 8:00am to 5 p.m.

The government has extended working hours at two Huduma Centres within the city centre in a move it says will help serve the public more efficiently.

Under the directive issued by Public Service Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia yesterday, the GPO and City Square Huduma centres will now operate from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday.

“We noted queues as early as 6:30 a.m. We therefore want to improve efficiency in service delivery and decongest the city traffic. Weekends are not included,” she said in an interview Monday.

Previously, the centres which were launched in 2013 to improve access to basic government services operated from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The move comes just a week after network failure left thousands of Huduma customers unable to access key services countrywide, including registration of companies and processing of birth certificates.

The outage was linked to the government's non-payment of internet bills amounting to Sh85 million to Safaricom #ticker:SCOM and Telkom.

The two telcos are the primary providers of Internet to the centres on the National Optic Fibre Backbone (Nofbi).

Huduma centres are a one-stop shop for services such as application for national ID cards, National Social Security Fund, business permits and driving licences. Other services include registration of companies, processing of birth certificates among others.

The first Huduma Centre was launched at Nairobi’s Teleposta Towers four years ago but has since expanded to other parts of the city with plans to set one in each of the 47 counties.