A staff member at the Public Service Commission has raised serious questions over a request to renew the contracts of employees working at the Government Delivery Unit, citing irregular recruitment, duplication of duties and complaints involving contractors implementing public projects.
The confidential complaint claims that several employees currently seeking contract renewals joined the unit in 2023 without going through an open and competitive recruitment process.
According to the staffer, the vacancies were never advertised and no interviews were conducted before a list containing selected names was forwarded to the Public Service Commission for processing.
The complaint states that the employees were handpicked, raising questions about how the candidates were identified, who selected them and whether other qualified Kenyans were denied an opportunity to compete for the positions.
The Government Delivery Unit, previously known as the President’s Delivery Unit, is responsible for monitoring, coordinating and reporting on the implementation of government projects, programmes and presidential directives.
The request to extend the contracts has now renewed questions about the continued existence of the unit, with the whistleblower claiming that its functions are already being performed by several other government offices.
The staffer identifies the President’s Economic Transformation Secretariat, the Ministry of Interior through National Government Administration Officers and the State Department for Government Coordination under the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary as offices carrying out similar duties.
The complaint asks whether taxpayers should continue financing a separate delivery unit when ministries, county commissioners, regional commissioners and other offices already monitor and report on government projects across the country.
It further claims that the unit remains poorly funded, leaving some of its officers dependent on ministries, agencies and contractors for logistical support during project inspections and verification visits.
According to the whistleblower, the Public Service Commission has received several complaints from ministry officials claiming that some Government Delivery Unit officers solicit money from contractors responsible for projects they are assigned to inspect.
The complaint says the concerns have repeatedly mentioned acting head Sitati Olando, though it does not provide the affected projects, contractors, amounts requested or records showing that money changed hands.
The staffer has called for the complaints to be examined before any contracts are renewed, including a review of project visits, transport arrangements, field allowances and communication between unit officers and contractors.
Questions have also been raised about the recruitment of a substantive head after the government appointed Olando to lead the unit in an acting capacity.
The whistleblower claims that the Public Service Commission advertised the position and began a formal recruitment process, but the exercise was later stopped through the intervention of a powerful government office.
According to the complaint, the recruitment was blocked to allow Olando to continue serving in an acting position rather than face an open competition for the substantive appointment.
The staffer wants the government to disclose why the recruitment was stopped, which office issued the instructions and whether the Public Service Commission had already received or shortlisted applications when the process was halted.
The complaint further accuses Olando of adopting a high-handed management style marked by bullying and mistreatment of employees working under him.
Some staff members are said to have left the unit following disputes with the acting head, though the complaint does not identify them or give details about the circumstances surrounding their departures.
The whistleblower claims that the leadership disputes have affected staff morale and moved the department away from its original role of tracking and reporting on the delivery of government priorities.
The Public Service Commission staffer has called for an investigation into the 2023 recruitment process before the government approves any request to renew the affected contracts.
Such a review would establish whether the positions were approved, whether the appointments complied with public service recruitment rules and who authorised the forwarding of handpicked names to the commission.
The complaint further seeks an examination of the Government Delivery Unit’s current functions against those assigned to other offices responsible for coordinating and monitoring public projects.
It also calls for a review of complaints made by ministry officials and contractors concerning requests for financial support during project inspections.
The recruitment of a substantive head, the instructions that stopped the process, staff departures and Olando’s conduct as acting head have been listed among the issues requiring examination.
The claims were submitted by a person identifying themselves as a concerned Public Service Commission employee and have not been independently confirmed.
No official finding has been made against Olando or any other Government Delivery Unit officer mentioned in the complaint.