CS Ruku makes impromptu visit to Nakuru, locks late civil servants out of offices

Some of the staff who were locked out of the offices. [Courtesy]

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku visited the Rift Valley regional headquarters in Nakuru early in the morning to assess service delivery at the national government public offices.

Tens of civil servants who arrived late for work were surprised when the Cabinet Secretary ordered the complex gates to be closed at the official reporting time of 8 a.m., leaving only the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and Immigration offices open.

During his address to the civil servants, Ruku expressed his concerns regarding their tardiness, noting that it severely jeopardises service delivery to Kenyans.

Public service CS Geofrey Ruku engages some of the employees who arrived late at their work place. [Courtesy]

"The visit was to check on the operational delivery of public services to Kenyans in need of government assistance," Ruku stated. He also expressed disappointment over the absenteeism of several key staff members.

"I was dismayed that most of the staff had not reported to work by 8 a.m., leaving Kenyans unattended," he said.

While acknowledging ongoing structural challenges within ministries, departments, parastatals, and commissions, Ruku insisted that punctuality is a basic requirement that must be adhered to throughout the civil service.

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geofrey Ruku arrives at the Rift Valley Regional offices. [Courtesy]

On June 10, during a similar impromptu visit to the Coast Region National Government Offices in Mombasa, Ruku warned that the government would take action against public servants who knowingly impede service delivery by absenting themselves from duty.

The government has been working on streamlining the public service to ensure that employment in the civil service is based solely on merit. Ruku informed government workers that the hiring process in the public sector has been compromised by some individuals not being hired based on merit.