CS Ruku pledges fairness in allocation of State jobs

Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku addresses residents of Yatta Constituency at Katangi Boys Senior School grounds on Monday. [Erastus Mulwa, Standard]

The Government will deploy technology in order to ensure fairness in recruitment to employment opportunities in all state parastatals, Public Service Cabinet Secretary, Geoffrey Ruku, has said.

Speaking in Katangi, Yatta Constituency, where he delivered relief food to residents, Ruku declared the era of ‘connections’ in job placements in public service has come to an end.

“A time has come when we are going to ensure that meritocracy is the only measure for Kenyans to secure employment opportunities in public institutions. Young people will no longer have to seek employment favours through MPs and other leaders to get connected to employment opportunities,” said Ruku.

The CS said the new technology-backed recruitment system will ensure job seekers upload their application documents in a portal that will automatically process data and shortlist candidates, paving the way for a fair and transparent process of employment.

He said the move was part of President William Ruto’s approach to providing fair and equal opportunities to all Kenyans irrespective of their ethnicity, religion, political or other considerations. “We are setting up a system at the Public Service Commission headquarters that will implement a technology-driven recruitment for all government workers. We want to assure the young people across Kenya that moving forward, the government is doing everything to ensure recruitment is merit-based,” he said.

The CS hit out at the opposition leaders, accusing them of taking advantage of the global oil crisis occasioned by the war in the Middle East to incite Kenyans against the broad-based government. He defended President Ruto over accusations that his government had done nothing to cushion Kenyans against the surge in fuel prices.

“Following the disruption in the shipping of crude oil due to the escalating war in the Middle East, President Ruto approved Sh6.5 billion in oil subsidy to ensure Kenyans do not suffer from too high fuel prices. The increase in fuel prices is not purely a Kenyan problem but a global phenomenon,” said the CS.

Ruku urged the Akamba community to rally behind Ruto in the next general election, claiming that the opposition had nothing to offer. “Do not be misled by the opposition. Those asking you not to support the government are themselves beneficiaries of the same government. It is high time the Akamba community rejected retrogressive politics and focused on development-oriented leadership that is being offered by Ruto,” the CS further said.

Ruku was hosted by Yatta-based politician Annastacia Muendo, who urged the locals to reject opposition leaders whom she claimed had been peddling politics of tribalism and hatred.