President William Ruto has announced the establishment of a new Huduma Centre in Doldol, Laikipia County, saying it will bring government services closer to residents and reduce travel burdens.
The centre will add to the national network of Huduma facilities, which currently stands at 59 as Huduma Kenya CEO Ben Kai Chilumo says reforms will expand access nationwide.
Speaking on Friday during his tour of Doldol on Friday, the President said the centre would be completed within three months and would significantly ease the burden of accessing government services for people in the area.
“If you want an ID, you go to Nanyuki. If you want a birth certificate, you go to Nanyuki,” Ruto reitarated, adding that he had come to establish a Huduma Centre in the area and that it would be completed within three months.
The Head of State highlighted the new facility would allow residents to access key government services within their locality, including national identity cards, birth certificates and other civil registration documents.
“All your issues related to IDs, searching for birth certificates, and all government services will be available here in Doldol,” the President stated.
Ruto directed the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Geoffrey Ruku, to ensure that the centre is completed within the set timeline and fully operational with adequate staffing.
He instructed Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku to oversee the project and ensure that staffing and completion are done within the set timeline.
“Minister Ruku, we have agreed on three months—bring the government workers so that the building will be completed and these people will stop struggling,” he said.
The Doldol Huduma Centre is part of a broader government plan targeting about 290 sub-county service centres aimed at improving access to services, especially in remote regions.
The government also continues to rely on digital platforms such as e-Citizen, which hosts more than 22,000 services, although some services still require physical verification.
Huduma Kenya CEO Ben Kai Chilumo, speaking in a separate interview on Radio Generation, said the programme is undergoing legal reforms to strengthen its operations.
He said a proposed Huduma Bill will turn the programme into a fully established agency.
“As we speak today, it is a programme under a gazette notice. It is not a legal entity,” Chilumo noted.
He explained that the new legal structure will allow the agency to recruit staff, manage resources and set uniform standards across all centres.
“This Bill basically entrenches the programme into a legal framework where it becomes an entity that is able now to function properly, able to hire staff,” he highlighted.
Chilumo also raised concerns about differences in service delivery between Huduma Centres and other government offices.
“Kenyans are asking why government services offered in Huduma are different from services at the back office of ministries and agencies,” he said.
He added that Huduma Centres currently serve about 60,000 people daily and handle services such as police abstracts, ID replacement and certificates of good conduct.
The centres have also expanded services to include basic medical checks and mental health support through a toll-free line.
“You call 1919. Mental health issues have become a reality,” Chilumo said.
The President said the Doldol project reflects the government’s commitment to improving access and ensuring equal distribution of services across the country.