CS Ruku pledges meritocracy in state hiring as impromptu visits continue

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku. [File, Standard]

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has continued with impromptu visits to Huduma Centers aimed at assessing delivery of government services to Kenyans in need.

On Friday, CS Ruku paid unannounced visits to the General Post Office (GPO) and Eastleigh Huduma Centres in Nairobi.

He lauded the staff for their professionalism, resilience, and innovation in delivering essential services despite operating with limited resources.

“It is encouraging to see public servants doing more with less, showing that they are committed to serving Kenyans,” CS Ruku said.

He further emphasized the need for Public Service Commission (PSC) to uphold integrity and meritocracy in public sector recruitment and promotion processes cautioning against favoritism, nepotism, and other unfair practices that hinder efficiency and morale in the public service.

“I want to emphasize that moving forward, recruitment and promotion in the public service must be merit-based. The era of rewarding incompetence is over,” he declared.

He further revealed that more surprise visits to government offices will continue as part of broader reforms to promote accountability, efficiency, and citizen-centered service delivery.
“Public service is not a privilege. It is a responsibility. Every officer must remember they are here to serve Kenyans first,” he said.

Ruku pledged to accelerate the transformation of Kenya’s public sector culture, placing citizens at the heart of service delivery, fostering accountability and to keep public service grounded in the needs of the people.