Francis Meja, the Public Service Commission (PSC) chairperson nominee, has pledged to streamline recruitment processes through technology in order to enhance fairness and reduce human interference in public service hiring.
During his vetting by the National Assembly Labour Committee, Meja said, "We have challenges, but our vision in the future should be streamlined and we can be doing interviews online and those are the areas we will focus on to help in minimising the human judgement or interventions in recruitment in future without interfering with anybody. It will bring fairness, and everybody will be satisfied."
Committee Vice Chairperson Fabian Mule sought to understand the nominee’s leadership agenda.
"You're here as commissioner, you want to be a chairperson, what's that thing you're going to do as a chairperson that you've n't done as a commissioner?" he asked.
Kisii County MP, Dorice Donya, raised concerns over integrity and staff welfare within the public sector, stating, "Do you know that nowadays employees even beg when they want to pursue further studies? Can you define that analogy? Some even offer a bribe."
Committee Chairperson Ken Chonga pressed the nominee on corruption within the civil service.
"It's in the public domain that corruption is so rampant in the civil service. What specific measures have you undertaken as a commissioner, and now you want to undertake as a chairperson, if approved, to address this menace?" Chonga said.
In response, Meja said, "As the chair, you're the leader of the team. Your zeal and vision will have an impact before the commission. This is an opportunity because I will have value to add, and I know I can do better. The law is clear in terms of recruitment because I will stand as per the law."
On cases of bribery and study leave challenges among employees, Meja noted, "The leave of absence is not a problem, and we will have no objection, and if there are instances of challenge, we shall have a look at it. Cases of bribery are a mistake. If approved in the public service,e we shall have systems, policies and decisive actions in dealing with this monster so that we need the support of every citizen to participate."
Peter Kihungi urged the nominee to prioritise long-term reforms, advising, "We need to come up with a Policy that guides and controls in this corruption menace.
Meja reiterated his commitment to institutional transformation.
"We can drive this institution diligently. We shall ensure that the face of the country is considered when I take the job," he said.
Donya further recommended internal accountability mechanisms, saying, "We need suggestion boxes in working areas to improve the trust of workers because they will help you to learn more, and this will help in changing the narratives in the working stations."
Chonga also questioned how the Commission would improve access to information on PSC vacancies for citizens in remote areas, asking, "How will you address the remote issue where some don't know the information and others can not afford phones. How can these opportunities be reached so that we can resolve the issue of ethnicity or the ethnic imbalances? How will you address it better to be inclusive?"
"We have to strengthen national government officials to ensure the dissemination of information in those remote areas, even from the representatives of the people like MPs," Meja replied.
"The network coverage it's true we are disadvantaged."
On public service reforms across both levels of government, Meja told MPs that, "Public Service is supposed to be a devolved level. In national government and county governments but we have identified gaps of a unifying law like a PFM act and soon we are proposing a law which cuts across the two levels of the government because it is a worrying trend that we have counties with 75 percent income going to personnel emoluments but this law will allow the free movement of employees between counties andthe national government."
Meja disclosed to the committee that he is worth Sh320 million.
