Departmental Heads Warned Against Skipping National Celebrations

Nyeri: Heads of government departments and agencies could soon find themselves in trouble for failing to attend national day celebrations in the counties. Central Regional Commissioner (RC), Joshua Nkanatha, says that attendance of national day events is not optional but a civic responsibility that doubles up as a show of support for the government of the day by the civil servants. According to Kenya News Agency, speaking in Nyeri during the Central Regional Implementation Coordination and Management Committee (NGD-RICMC) meeting, Nkanatha said that attendance by the government officers sets a good example for the public and underscores the importance of patriotism. He expressed his concern over poor attendance by the government officials, whom he noted are treating the events casually by sending junior officers in their place, with some opting to skip the events altogether. 'Traditionally all heads of departments used to attend these celebrations without fail. But nowadays, these celebrations are only bein g attended by security agencies and National Government Administrative Officers. We will be heading to Kitui for the Mashujaa Day celebrations and all the Principal Secretaries, all the Chief Executive Officers, all the chairpersons of commissions and all the Cabinet Secretaries will be in attendance, but some of you will be at home and leave the county celebration for the county commissioner and the county security team,' Nkanatha told the department heads. 'I would like you to take note that accounting officers in your respective ministries and state departments will be in attendance, but some of you will be at home. Therefore, what we are saying is that attending national day celebrations is mandatory. If you do not want to attend the celebrations, relinquish your position as a head of department,' he added. The RC also cautioned the officers against engaging in graft, warning that their days are numbered. He said the government had already engaged with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to invest igate issues of graft within the service. While revisiting the issue of lethargy in the civil service, Nkanatha observed that some officers are abusing their working hours by deserting their duties, adding that the government will stop at nothing to ensure that discipline is restored in the civil service. 'There are many ways of stealing from the government; there are those who steal money and there are those who steal time. That is also corruption. So, if in a week you are in the office for two days instead of five without permission, then you are stealing from the government. You can imagine if all of us stole one hour in one day, which has eight working hours. In a week you will probably have stolen close to a full day from the government. That means the government is paying us, even when we are not working, so we are stealing from the government and that must stop,' said the RC. Similarly, he also advised public servants to serve the public with impartiality regardless of their status in the society, as stipulated in the Constitution and the Public Service Commission guidelines. He also cautioned civil servants against being swayed by political influence from politicians, reminding them that their duty is to serve the government of the day with impartiality and dedication. 'As civil servants, we are non-partisan. We offer our services to every Kenyan, irrespective of their religion, political affiliations and even gender. Therefore, we do not expect to hear complaints from Kenyans that they have been denied services or discriminated against when seeking services. Strive to ensure that your service delivery is on par with the government guidelines,' he said. He further urged the officers to mentor the newly recruited staff under their supervision. Nkanatha said that the right guidance and support would help in instilling professionalism and integrity and improving service delivery in the public service. 'We are supposed to mentor the officers that the government is giving us. Try to make that officer that was recently employed a better person than you. Please do not mislead them, even before they know what they are supposed to do,' he said. 'Soon some of you are exiting services and we want to leave this country in better hands. Remember that when you retire, you will go back to seek services from the officers you are mentoring now, and they will treat you the same way you showed them to treat citizens,' he said.