Nairobi — Kenyans will now be forced to pay money for government services across all Huduma Centers if the plans by the State Department of Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management are actualized.
Public Service, Performance, and Delivery Management Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria asserted that the fee-for-service move for government service will enable the 52 Huduma Centers across the country to generate revenue and ease the pressure on the exchequer.
Some of the services that will come at a cost in Huduma centers include renewal of drivers' licences, duplicate national identity cards, National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
Others include National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) registration and claims, HELB - Student Loan Application and Repayments, Registration of Welfare Groups, issuance of police abstracts, single business permit and stamp duty assessment among others.
"You have been enjoying these services without paying, there is no more free lunch. You have to pay for it, we will introduce fee for service for government service and private service to support our e-commerce because Huduma Centre will be backbone for e-commerce," said Kuria during the official takeover of the State Department of Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management
CS sKuria was among the eight Cabinet Secretaries moved by President William Ruto in changes announced by Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei on October 4.
The Cabinet Secretary mentioned that this will be among his first undertaking after having a consultation with the consumer department within the government including the immigration department
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Kuria revealed government plans to widen the scope of service delivery through business partnership with the different private sectors.
"Clearly,this is one of the area that the public sector has outshined the private sector.The President has challenged us on sustainability and not trusting on the exchequer and this is one the areas where we will cut dependence on the exchequer," he stated.
The government intends to increase Huduma Centers across the country by revamping the postal corporation centers into the government services bureaus.
Currently, there are only 52 Huduma centres across the country which plans aimed at turning the 893 post offices into Huduma centres to enhance service delivery and revenue generation.
The Huduma Kenya concept initiated by the Jubilee regime which seeks to use technology to allow people to access a range of self-service counters linked to Government databases.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the first Huduma Centre at GPO Nairobi in 2013 and described the old bureaucratic system as inefficient, bred corruption, wasted time and cost billions of shillings. The Head of State raised concern over endless queues in public offices, during which countless hours were wasted.
