The Public Service Commission has launched a nationwide recruitment exercise to select 7,000 young graduates for the Public Service Internship Programme Cohort 8.
The week-long interviews, running from December 1 to 6, 2025, involve 13,117 shortlisted candidates drawn from 35,659 applicants. PSC says the grassroots approach reflects its commitment to fairness, diversity and the face of Kenya.
The interviews which started on Monday, are the final stage before the successful interns take up their one-year placements across government institutions starting January 2026.
PSC Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Paul Famba, who signed the statement, said the Commission has deployed teams to 13 regional centres covering Western, Nyanza, Coast, Rift Valley, North Eastern, Eastern, Nairobi and Central parts of the country” to ensure the process reaches candidates in all regions.
He emphasised that the decentralised approach reflects PSC’s commitment to access and national representation.
According to the Commission, the grassroots method used for Cohort 8 recruitment attests to the Commission’s commitment to ensure diversity, equity, inclusivity, and the face of Kenya in the recruitment process.
The design of the internship programme, PSC says, aligns directly with the principles of public service outlined in Article 232 of the Constitution.
The one-year internship is intended to give graduates structured exposure to government operations.
In the press release, PSC stated that it is committed to providing young Kenyans with structured internship opportunities that enhance employability, build technical capability, and deepen understanding of public service operations.
The Commission further stressed that the interviews are being conducted in full adherence to the law.
“The recruitment exercise is conducted in accordance with the highest standards of professionalism, fairness, merit, transparency, and equal opportunity as required by the Public Service Commission Act, 2017,” the statement reads.
All shortlisted candidates have been notified through official SMS alerts and provided with interview instructions through the PSC Jobs Portal.
They are required to present themselves in person at their allocated centres with original identification and academic credentials, including national ID cards, certificates, and transcripts.
PSC also noted that consideration for telephone interviews has been made for applicants in far-flung regions who may not be able to reach interview centres due to logistical challenges.
The Commission issued a strong warning against fraudsters attempting to exploit desperate job seekers.
It reminded all applicants that the process is entirely free.
“The Commission reminds all candidates that the recruitment process is free of charge and that they should not fall prey to fraudsters asking for money to influence their appointment into the programme,” the statement said.
The PSIP has become one of the largest structured internship programmes in Kenya’s public sector, offering graduates exposure to ministries, State departments and government agencies.
For Cohort 8, the Commission says the selected graduates will be deployed in January 2026 and will receive a monthly stipend as part of the paid internship arrangement.
As the interviews continue across the 13 regional centres, the Commission maintains that the process is transparent and grounded in merit.
With thousands of hopeful graduates competing for the 7,000 slots, PSC says its guiding principles remain fairness, equal opportunity and the promotion of the face of Kenya.
The final list of successful candidates will be announced after the conclusion of the interview process, paving the way for deployment at the start of the new year.
