State kicks off leadership programme for young civil servants

Seated from left- Patience Nyage of EPL, Vice-Chairperson PSC Charity Kisotu and Surianarain Sharmi of EPL during the official launch. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

A new programme aimed at empowering young civil servants has been launched.

Under the initiative, young public servants will be equipped with the skills and competencies to deliver better services to the public.

Those targeted will have worked for six months and not beyond one year.

The training will last a year. This is after it emerged that the reputation of public service is dented with corruption, nepotism and inefficiencies.

The curriculum will put citizens at the centre of public service, the public service leadership and the ethos and skills for young public leaders.

The details emerged during the launch of the Emerging Leaders Fellowship, a partnership between the Ministry of Public Service, Emerging Leaders Foundation (ELF) and Emerging Public Leaders (EPL).

Under the programme, the first 50 fellows will be competitively recruited.

Public Service Principal Secretary Charles Sunkuli said the programme would serve as an entry point for young public service leaders.

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia praised the commission, ELP and ELF for putting together the learning and development programme, saying it will strengthen value-based leadership and support institutional building.

Third country

The CS said the programme shows Kenya is developing a generation of youth for the public service.

“These youths will be trained to apply their talents and enhance efficiency in public service delivery,’’ said Kobia.

Emerging Leaders Foundation Kenya Executive Director Caren Wakoli said Kenya is the third country where such a programme has been launched after Liberia and Ghana.

‘‘There is need for building synergies because the public, private sectors or civil society cannot bring change alone. We need the power of meaningful collaborations and partnership and that’s why this leadership programme,’’ said Ms Wakoli.

She said the programme would see young public servants mentored and guided by their seniors.

Public Service Commission vice-chairperson Charity Kisotu said the programme is the first in the public service transformation agenda.

She said another 3,000 interns are currently on the programme and shortly they will be graduating.

Ms Kisotu said the new programme will complement the internship programme by targeting freshly recruited graduates into the public service.