Over 900, 000 people employed in the public service gobble up at least 52 per cent of the country's revenue, Public Service CS Moses Kuria has said.
Kuria said the recurrent expenditure is drawn from the taxes collected by the government from 54 million Kenyans.
“Today, 900, 000 Kenyans are the ones responsible for what we call the recurrent expenditure by the government. Our current recurrent expenditure stands as 52 per cent of our tax collection paid by 54 million Kenyans,” Kuria said.
The CS said he had two important roles as head of the ministry.
Kuria said the first role is to ensure all public servants whose livelihoods, salaries and needs are catered for by taxpayers are accountable, efficient and deliver required standards of services.
“Being here with you 19 days after the president entrusted me with the docket is to ensure that as a government, we deliver,” Kuria said.
He spoke while unveiling the NYS Reengineering Programme at the institution’s headquarters in Ruaraka, Nairobi on Wednesday.
Kuria said within a week after he was appointed the Public Service CS, he was able to share with the public his ten-point plan on what he was going to do to ensure an accountable government.
He said it was important for those entrusted with various roles in the government as public servants to get to the public and inform them of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s programs.
“We aren’t bosses, we are servants. As I have said before, a lot of us confuse this. We call ourselves public servants, but we are people who are in public employment,” Kuria said.
Kuria said there is a difference between public employment and being a public servant who is doing public service.
“So, will ensure that all of us from cabinet secretaries, PSs, CEOs, chairmen and board members are accountable, and share with the people who have employed us. A lot of us are good at being bossy,” he said.
“Mtu anaenda kwa PS anamuita mkubwa, director mkubwa. Na hawa sio wakubwa, wakubwa wetu ni raia ambao wametupea kazi, the privilege of serving them at this time,” Kuria said.
He said it was his priority to ensure the government takes services and development to the people.
Kuria said civil servants should subscribe to high levels of performance and commit themselves to qualitatively deliver on time since that’s what Kenyans expect from them.
“It’s not a favour that you are doing to Kenyans, it’s Kenyans who have done us favour and privilege to serve them. I’m going to give Kenyans a chance to give their feedback on government services,” Kuria said.
He said a complaints centre will be established at the National Youth Service headquarters in Nairobi.
“For instance, if you had paid for connection by Kenya Power and still waiting for six months or more, report to the centre, you can either give your details or raise your complaints anonymously,” Kuria said.
Kuria said his office will ensure that the country has efficient, productive and accountable public service.
He said they will review the country’s state cooperations and ensure that they stop becoming a burden to Kenyans.
“We are going to review, expand and improve our Huduma Centres to ensure that we have a network of a minimum of 1,000 Huduma Centres."