The government has unveiled a bold proposal that could change the future of public employment, with plans to move civil servants from permanent and pensionable terms to renewable five-year contracts.
The reform, announced by Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, is aimed at improving accountability, raising productivity, and restoring public trust in government institutions.
The proposal forms part of the Public Service Commission Strategic Plan 2025–2029 and will soon be submitted to Cabinet for consideration. If approved, the changes could affect more than one million public servants across the country.
Speaking on Thursday during the launch of the PSC Strategic Plan 2025–2029, Ruku said urgent action is needed to address absenteeism, poor performance and what he described as a growing culture of entitlement in public offices. He warned that these challenges “erode public confidence and have serious effects on the administration and the leadership of the country.”
The Cabinet Secretary pointed to timekeeping issues in government institutions, noting that interns often report to work on time while senior officers fail to do so.
“Over 60 to 70% of senior officers are not in the offices at the right time, while the interns are trying to see whether they can contribute,” he said.
Ruku maintained that introducing contract-based employment would make public servants more accountable for their output and conduct. Under the proposed system, performance would determine whether a contract is renewed.
“We are given a contract of three years or five years. If you perform properly, you are given another contract of five years. If you are not meeting the contractual obligations, you go and look for another job,” he said.
He added that the changes would remove the belief that permanent employment guarantees job security regardless of performance. The shift, he noted, is intended to align public service delivery with the country’s development agenda and ensure citizens receive efficient services.
Ruku also stressed the need to build a modern and responsive public service that can meet the needs of a youthful population. He said government systems must embrace digital solutions so that services are easily accessible.
“We must ensure all government services can be accessed by young people at the comfort of their homes, through their phones and tablets. We must run a unified digital government where different State Departments and offices can communicate in real time,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary warned that weak discipline and low productivity within public offices undermine the President’s mandate and damage public trust. He urged the Public Service Commission to speed up procedures for removing officers who fail to meet required standards.
“The matter of firing public servants who are not conducting themselves properly is not properly done, and we need to be firm in ensuring compliance,” he said.
The proposed contract system is now set to be presented before Cabinet, where a decision will be made on whether to implement one of the most far-reaching changes in the history of the country’s public service. If adopted, the reform would reshape employment terms for over one million workers and redefine how performance and accountability are handled in government institutions.
