This archive report was first published on 25 July 2021.
Kenya's civil service is the foundation of nation building and national development. A strong civil service is crucial for the country's progress, but there is still room for improvement.
On July 25, 2021, Raila Odinga shared his vision for a modern civil service, highlighting the need for discipline, hard work, high morale, efficiency, and high ethical standards.
According to Odinga, addressing nepotism, tribalism, and favouritism in the civil service is essential. These issues have demoralized many officers, leading to frustration and a lack of motivation.
He emphasized the need to create a clear career progression path for civil servants, based on seniority and merit-based promotions. This would ensure that officers are rewarded for their hard work and dedication.
Conflict of interest is another major issue that Odinga wants to address. He believes that eliminating this would help reduce corruption and improve public trust in the civil service.
He also emphasized the importance of promoting creativity in the civil service. Odinga wants to create an environment where civil servants feel encouraged to share their ideas and bring innovative solutions to the table.
Furthermore, Odinga proposed the idea of allowing civil servants to spend time in the private sector and return to public service. This would help create a better understanding of how the private sector operates and how the two sectors can complement each other.
He also emphasized the need to enhance the capacity of the civil service to engage in strategic thinking. This would involve creating linkages between government and private sector think tanks to enable civil servants to pursue routine work and engage in strategic thinking at the same time.
Ultimately, Odinga's vision is to create a modern civil service that is honest, patriotic, professional, and efficient. He believes that this can be achieved by implementing these measures and subjecting the civil service to rigorous performance measurements and public perception tests.
