NAIROBI, August 20 – Kenyans will for the next three days have the opportunity to question and get more insight into the operations of various government institutions, following the launch of the Public Service Week (PSW) by Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Wednesday.
The PSW, which ends on Friday, will be held for the second time at the Kenyatta International Conference (KICC) and in all 149 districts across the country.
Ministries, Departments and State Corporations will participate in exhibiting the services they undertake in their respective areas for the general public to view.
Speaking at the opening, Odinga asked Kenyans to ensure that they demand quality services from the government, saying lazy civil servants would be axed.
He urged civil servants to diligently serve members of the public, as they had a major role to play in the government’s move to build the economy.
“While we will never be able to deliver everything we are required to, discourtesy and lethargy are unacceptable in the civil service,” the PM said.
He also asked public servants to be open to work in any part of the country.
Odinga at the same time called on Kenyans to report any corrupt officer, so that prompt stern action was taken against them.
He said he supported the public’s campaigns to demand total accountability from government officials.
The Prime Minister’s sentiments were echoed by Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno, who advised the public to lodge complaints on poor public service delivery at the PM’s office.
Otieno said any complaints registered at the recently established delivery desk would be acted upon immediately.
“Any citizen who finds services being rendered by any department less than excellent, please write or approach the delivery unit,” the Minister directed.
He reiterated that as the ministry responsible for providing strategic leadership in public human resource management, they were committed to providing qualified staff with the sole objective of improving public service performance.
“We shall ask you to leave when we feel that your performance is not within the standards Kenyans would want to see,” he warned.
The Minister urged Kenyans to turn up for the public service exhibition to view displays of service delivery charters and explain how the charters relate to customers’ expectations.
This year’s theme will be “Citizen Service Delivery Charters.”
Instant services such as the issuance of Identification Cards, Birth Certificates and registration of birth documents will be offered at the stands.
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