NAIROBI, July 25 – Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno on Friday reassured Civil Servants that the government was committed to improving their working conditions.
Otieno told a conference of top government officials that public institutions could only offer better services if staff were motivated and well taken care off.
“I can guarantee that we shall be providing you with motivated staff ready to serve the Kenyan people,” he said.
The Minister informed the gathering of Permanent Secretaries, Accounting Officers and Ministry Secretaries that they were currently reviewing the pension terms for public officers.
Otieno stated: “We don’t want our staff to struggle to buy food or drugs five years after retirement.”
To improve competence, the Minister said he intended to introduce a training revolving fund, from which various ministries could borrow to build the capacity of staff.
Other measures to be taken are frequent appraisals to ensure career progression.
His statements came a day after the Kenya Civil Servants Association (KCSA) threatened to go to court if their salaries and commuter allowances were not increased.
KCSA Secretary General Francis Ngariuki had said the rising costs of living dictated that employees between job groups A and L get Sh6, 000 and seniors get Sh10, 000 as allowances to cater for their daily transport needs.
Opening the two day conference held at the Kenya Institute of Administration Otieno urged the senior Public Servants to be creative, honest, transparent and accountable.
He said the quality of civil servants was crucial in meeting citizens’ needs and improving service delivery.
"The public service must be dynamic, robust and citizen-centered to stay in step with their changing needs and demands."
He told the Permanent Secretaries: “You are more important for the republic than the top policies makers who are my colleagues so take your work serious.”
The two day workshop is for the government officials to interact and share experiences in public service management.
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