PHOTO CAPTION: Huduma Kenya CEO James Buyekane when he addressed staff at Nyeri Huduma Center in 2021. Over the past week, oppressed Huduma Kenya staff have poured out anger and frustration concerning the mismanagement of the former globally acclaimed public service innovation under the Ministry of Devolution.
This blog has consistently amplified their suppressed voices as they seek to speak out against the embezzlement of funds that is devolved down from the national Secretariat to all the 52 centres across the country. ICYMI: The Rot Inside Huduma Kenya Secretariat The Secretariat controls finance, service delivery and procurement departments from Nairobi, leaving little to zero oversight on the ground.
This has provided a perfect opportunity for greedy County Commissioners who operate as patrons of the centres to liaise with their juniors and divert all the funds from the top office into their pockets.
To make matters worse, this blatant theft happens right under the nose of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) which harbours an office at every Huduma Centre. ICYMI: Corrupt County Commissioners Siphoning Huduma Kenya Funds Under The Nose Of EACC County Commissioners have delegated the roles of running the centres’ day-to-day activities to Assistant County Commissioners (ACC) formerly DOs.
As a result, most of the centres are not only critically underfunded but also poorly managed, despite the state establishment enjoying a budget of over Sh1Bn.
There is an increasing feeling of demotivation as staff grapple with delayed salaries and poor job infrastructure. ALSO READ: Huduma Kenya Restricts Wi-Fi Access To Prevent Oppressed Staff From Speaking Out The structures housing the centres look severely depleted, with broken chairs and nearly obsolete technology on the old computers.
This is confirmed by yet another staffer who contacted this blog on Thursday, October, 6, detailing her own fair share of the everyday ordeal.
The source, who requested to be kept anonymous, compared the management of the centres to the running of a Chief's camp.
Despite millions flowing in, staff in most offices go for weeks without things like tissue paper in the washrooms, or drinking water in the lobby.
Unlike the old Anne Waiguru days, they don't even get served tea anymore.
The insider also interestingly noted that for the upcoming Customer Service Week, a directive has been issued for employees to dig deep into their own pockets and contribute funds to set up something to appreciate customers.
Concerns have also been raised over the handling of staff welfare reserves as nobody trusts the managers in charge. "Hi Nyakundi, About the Huduma centres article, it is true, very accurate. I work in Huduma Centre. The managers are DO's who directly report to the county commissioners. Huduma centres are run like chief's camps. The office got its money, and yet the staff goes even a month without a tissue in the washrooms, no drinking water, no pens, or notebooks. Tea is a privilege, yes, but if the money is there, why pocket it? This week is a customer service week, we are told to contribute for the same from our pockets. This year, several Huduma Centres have said enough is enough, and they contributed nothing hence nothing's happening not even appreciating the customers. If the audits are done, you will see that money was set for the same at the Secretariat. If those cartels are not removed from that secretariat, if the DOs are not recalled back to their county commissioner's office and given other duties, Huduma centres will eventually die in a few years. In fact, most centres are not on good terms with their managers because the managers want to control the money in the staffs' welfare bank accounts. Laughable. Most of them aren't even members," the source says.