Delays top among complaints against public service sector

What was your last experience at a public office like?

How long did it take to get the service you were seeking?

Were you asked to give money or any gift to facilitate’ delivery of the service?

Did you get feedback on the enquiries made? 

For most Kenyans, public service is synonymous with inefficiency, long delays, incompetence and unethical practices such as bribery.

A new report by the Public Service Commission highlights some of the common complaints by people seeking services from the government.

DELAYS

According to the report titled "Status of the Public Service Compliance with the Values and Principles in Articles 10 and 232 of the Constitution 2018/2019", the public made a total of 949,657 complaints against government offices.

Delays in service delivery accounted for 946,669 cases, or 99.7 per cent of all the complaints by Kenyans dissatisfied with the service.

Of these complaints, 174 were about unresponsiveness, where Kenyans entirely failed to get the services they were seeking from public offices.

Lack of feedback for enquiries made at public offices was also high, with a total of 203 complaints filed. 

Loss of documents in government offices accounted for 135 of the complaints.

OFFICE ABUSE

Some 119 cases of abuse of office involving public officers were reported countrywide.

A further 99 complaints were made about disrespect by public officers.

The demand for a bribe in exchange for services also featured in the complaints, with 83 cases reported.

This number is curiously low, given rampant bribery claims involving public officers. 

HUDUMA CENTRES

Meanwhile, the establishment of Huduma Centres across the country to boost service delivery by the government seems to have yielded little, with Kenyans still having to wait long for essential services.

About 232 (83 per cent) public offices and institutions have a service charter but this has not enhanced service delivery.

While they are required to clearly display a service charter, a visit to most public offices returns worrying results: few of them still display this important document.

THE STUDY

Two hundred and eighty one public institutions participated in the survey that targeted 298 government offices.

The survey focused on seven thematic areas, among them service delivery improvement and transformation and professional ethics in the public service.

Others were good governance, transparency and accountability, equitable allocation of opportunities and resources. 

Compliance with the seven areas currently stands at 42 per cent, even as the PSC rolls out a new strategic plan (2019-2024) to enhance service delivery in the public sector.