CS Ruku Orders Opening of Government Communication Channels, Warns Civil Servants
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has directed all government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to immediately ensure their official communication channels are active, accessible, and responsive, warning that failure to do so undermines service delivery and erodes public trust.
Speaking on Thursday, January 29, during an inspection tour of government offices in Kisumu County, Ruku said Kenyans are entitled to timely services and clear communication from public institutions. He noted that inactive offices, unanswered phones, and unresponsive official email addresses send the wrong message to citizens who rely on government services.
“If we have emails in our offices, those emails must be working. If they are not working, just remove those emails from our websites,” Ruku said. “Because people send information through those emails, but the response is not there.”
The CS directed that all published government contact details, including emails, phone numbers, and help desks, must be functional and attended to during official working hours by designated officers. He warned that listing inactive contacts on government platforms amounts to misleading the public.
Beyond communication, Ruku also raised concern over lateness and absenteeism among civil servants, saying punctuality and responsiveness should be core values across the public service. He stressed that delays by government officers waste citizens’ time and disrupt planning for individuals and businesses.
“The people of Kenya are demanding that we be in our offices at the right time so that they can also save time and plan themselves properly,” he said. “When we are not in our offices at the right time, we send a very wrong signal.”
Ruku cited the State Department for Immigration as an example of compliance, noting that officers in regional offices he visited in Mombasa, Nakuru, Nyeri, and Embu were at their workstations by 8.00 a.m. He said the department’s culture of punctuality and responsiveness should be adopted across all MDAs.
The CS further instructed human resource managers under the Ministry of Public Service to enforce discipline and accountability among civil servants. He emphasised that official email addresses and communication channels listed on government websites must be actively monitored and responded to, warning that dormant channels should be removed if they cannot be properly managed.
Kenya has previously experienced several instances where government communication failures drew public criticism, particularly during emergencies. One notable case occurred in 2018, when a 24-hour toll-free hotline established to handle gender-based violence cases was found to be non-functional for nearly two months.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the hotline was managed by a single official who was not consistently available, with the failure attributed to operational bottlenecks, delayed funding, and weak institutional capacity. During the same period, studies on flood response in parts of Tana River County showed that crisis response teams lacked effective communication systems, leaving residents without timely guidance or updates
Analysts say such incidents have highlighted the critical role of reliable communication systems in public service delivery, particularly during crises and high-demand periods.
Ruku’s directive forms part of broader government efforts to improve efficiency, accountability, and responsiveness across the public service. The Ministry of Public Service has in recent months intensified inspections of government offices and reinforced performance management measures aimed at restoring confidence in state institutions.
The Cabinet Secretary warned that failure to comply with the directive would attract administrative action, adding that effective communication is not optional but a fundamental duty of public servants.
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CS Ruku Orders Opening of Government Communication Channels, Warns Civil Servants
