Kisumu — Hundreds of government employees were locked out of their workstations on Wednesday morning after reporting late, as Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku conducted an impromptu inspection of regional government offices in Kisumu County.
The surprise visit, carried out in the early hours, exposed widespread lateness and absenteeism across several departments, prompting immediate enforcement measures that saw gates temporarily closed to officers who failed to report on time.
Speaking during the inspection, CS Ruku said lateness directly undermines service delivery and violates Articles 10 and 232 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, which outline the values and principles of governance and public service, including professionalism, accountability and efficient service delivery.
"Punctuality is not optional in the public service. When officers report late, citizens are denied timely services," Ruku said, adding that disciplinary action would be taken in line with the Human Resource Policies and Procedures Manual of 2016.
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The Cabinet Secretary directed human resource managers across government offices to take firm action against officers who report late, abscond duty or fail to serve the public as required. He also ordered strict enforcement of attendance regulations and conduct standards within the public service.
During the visit, Ruku commended officers at the Immigration Department and the Huduma Centre for reporting to work early and serving members of the public promptly. However, the inspection revealed significant laxity in other sections, with many officers arriving after official reporting hours.
Ruku further instructed officers handling public enquiries to ensure that official emails and contact lines are functional and responsive, noting that unanswered enquiries are a major source of public complaints. He announced that his ministry will require monthly reports on citizen feedback and service responsiveness.
"If emails and contact lines are not working, they should be removed. Citizens must be able to reach government offices and receive feedback," he said.
Addressing officers later, the Cabinet Secretary reminded public servants that Kenyans, as taxpayers, expect efficient and timely service delivery.
He also praised an intern living with a disability who reported to work early, noting that some interns demonstrate greater commitment than permanent staff. Ruku described the trend as unacceptable and pledged to advocate for the intern's absorption into the public service through the Public Service Commission.
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"Staff should be mentoring interns, not the other way around," he said.
The Cabinet Secretary disclosed that the government is in the final stages of rolling out a new performance management system expected to be operational in April. The system will monitor performance, absenteeism and lateness to strengthen accountability across the public service.
Ruku added that concerns raised by Members of Parliament during a recent Naivasha retreat over poor service delivery in government offices underscore the need for urgent reforms.
He noted that regional government offices operate under the Office of the President and that public servants represent the President in implementing government policies and executing the mandates of ministries, state departments and agencies.
"We must act decisively against those who fail to execute their mandate. Public servants are servants of the people and must deliver," Ruku said.
