Seek rehabilitation or face demotion; PS Omollo warns drunk administrators

Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has issued a warning to National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs), saying the government will no longer tolerate alcohol and drug abuse among the administrators. 

He said officers struggling with addiction would be supported through rehabilitation, but those who fail to reform would be reassigned to lighter duties instead of remaining in sensitive leadership positions.

“We will not superintend over officers who are drunk. If you need rehabilitation, you must be able to seek help,” Omollo said.

He spoke on Tuesday at Kenya School of Government in Nairobi where he launched an induction programme of some 530 Deputy County Commissioners (DCCs) with 373 being newly promoted. 

The PS noted that while the government was ready to support affected officers, persistent offenders would not be allowed to compromise service delivery.

Omollo said public administrators occupy positions of trust and are often the face of government at the grassroots, making discipline and sobriety non-negotiable.

The PS noted that DCCs coordinate government programmes, chair inter-agency committees, oversee security matters and represent the national government in the sub-counties they serve.

“Leadership is not just about authority. It is about service, discipline, humility and the ability to inspire confidence among officers and members of the public,” he said.

The warning comes amid continued concern over alcohol and drug abuse in Kenya.

According to the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), alcohol remains the country's most commonly abused substance. 

The authority's latest national survey shows that about 4.7 million Kenyans aged 15 to 65 years currently consume alcohol, translating to a prevalence of approximately 13 per cent of the population in that age bracket. 

Omollo urged administrators to lead by example, saying they cannot effectively enforce the law while engaging in behaviour that undermines public confidence.

He said the induction programme was designed to prepare the newly promoted officers for the demands of their expanded responsibilities under the Constitution and the evolving governance environment.

The training, he said, would equip them with knowledge on their legal mandate, public service values, policy implementation, security management, development coordination, intergovernmental relations and community mobilisation.

Omollo also cited rapid technological advancement, constitutional changes, increased public participation and Kenya's youthful population as some of the factors requiring administrators to continuously update their skills.

“The people want to be involved. They want to be heard and they want to see themselves in government programmes,” he said.

He challenged the officers to embrace technology, strengthen coordination among government agencies and focus on measurable results that improve citizens' lives.

Omollo further reminded the DCCs that they are central to implementing the government's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, particularly in delivering programmes on affordable housing, food security, universal healthcare, the digital economy and support for micro, small and medium enterprises.

“As administrators, you are basically the face of the government. How you treat the public is the impression they have of the government,” he said.