One-stop centre launched for easier access to public services

By WINSLEY MASESE

NAIROBI, KENYA: Kenyans can now access various government services under one roof, a move that seeks to enhance service delivery in the country.

Following the launch of Huduma Centre Thursday by President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenyans in Nairobi will access a number of services at Teleposta House (GPO).

Kenyans in Nairobi seeking to register business names, get national identity cards or student loan application and repayment forms, register with the National Social Security Fund and National Hospital Insurance Fund, and report corruption, among other services, will be able to do so at the centre.

The project will eventually be rolled out to other parts of the country.

The President said Government inefficiency manifested in moving from one office to another and that long queues breed corruption.

“The new Government sees the rationalisation and digitisation of public services as a way of breaking that cycle and removing unnecessary bureaucracy in order to improve the public sector delivery system,” he said.

In the subsequent phases of the programme, the Government will not require citizens to provide copies of documents issued by the same Government.

“Enterprise systems will enable Government departments share citizen data and information link up to eradicate corruption, and enhance transparency and accountability in service delivery,” he said.

The President promised that the Government would put to an end to the poor public service delivery and systems.

The pilot project at Huduma Centre will offer 18 services from 10 government agencies.

The President identified the noble role the public sector plays in economic growth and said to achieve that, there was need for the public sector to undergo transformation.

“The attitude of public servants, the systems and processes of service delivery and the quality must experience a serious turn-around. Public servants are not rulers to lord it over citizens,” he warned.

He said the Government would continually review the laws and regulations to ensure that they provide the necessary controls and create space for efficient service delivery.

“With the presence of performance contracting, citizen satisfaction should be the benchmark to evaluate productivity,” he said.

“Those who serve with dedication, dignity and discipline, and professionalism will automatically satisfy the citizens and earn favourable reviews,” he said.

The centre is part of the Government’s ambitions plan to achieve long-term development plans as envisioned under Vision 2030.

President Kenyatta, however, challenged Kenyans to demand service delivery as their right rather than a favour.

“The Constitution demands that you discharge your public trust in a manner that demonstrates respect for the people, brings honour to the nation and dignity to your office,” he told civil servants.

The President said digitisation and automation were the current ways of discharging duties.

“I, therefore, direct all cabinet secretaries to, as a matter of urgency, undertake a comprehensive review of the service delivery system with a view to digitising and automating their records and business processes,” he said.

Part of the Government’s vision in this effort is to provide services online as a way to reduce corruption.

Deputy President William Ruto said the Huduma Centre was the new face of Government in its efforts to improve service delivery.

“This is a key milestone that will ensure that Kenyans are served and can access services easier and in one place,” he said.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku said the finer details of the programme would be available to other systems of Government.

He said the next phase would see the system deployed to the counties, districts and eventually locations.

The programme, spearheaded by the Devolution and National Planning ministry, will be rolled out to other parts of the country.  “We will use the good infrastructure of the Post Office to roll out the programme,” said Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru.