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We need 3 million public service workers for efficient delivery – Ruku

He noted that currently, only one million public servants provide services to the 55 million people, which is not enough.

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by BRIAN ORUTA

News03 July 2025 - 13:28
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In Summary


  • The CS stated that if the country manages to recruit an additional two million public servants, Kenya will have a more efficient public service, which would in turn help attract investment.
  • Ruku explained that although the combined staff of national and county governments is about one million, the government still faces the challenge of a bloated wage bill.

Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special projects Geoffrey Ruku/HANDOUT

Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes CS Geoffrey Ruku now says that for efficiency, the public sector needs at least three million workers to serve Kenya’s population of 55 million.

Ruku noted that currently, only one million public servants provide services to the people, which is not enough.

“We are more than 55 million Kenyans, and public services are delivered by at most one million people. Logically, we need about three million Kenyans in public service to effectively offer public services and create a conducive environment for local and foreign investors,” he said.

The CS stated that if the country manages to recruit an additional two million public servants, Kenya will have a more efficient public service, which would in turn help attract investment.

Ruku explained that although the combined staff of national and county governments is about one million, the government still faces the challenge of a bloated wage bill.

“Our revenue is not enough to sustain the public service. That’s the pain the President and the Executive are currently grappling with.”

He emphasized the need for the government to rethink its revenue strategy to accommodate the additional workforce without worsening the wage bill burden.

“We may require about three million Kenyans to offer public services, but at the same time, we must ensure they are paid and that the wage bill does not exceed 35% of the revenue collected.

“We need to figure out how to grow our revenues so that when we talk about the wage bill, we don’t just label it bloated — because, in truth, it may not be,” Ruku added.

He also noted that in Kenya, public sector workers' earnings do not match the workload they handle, especially when compared to their private-sector counterparts.

The CS said that while 30,000 services have already been digitised, more effort is needed to achieve full efficiency.

“We need a more digital and unified public service, and that’s the direction we’re heading. We have a policy — the Transformation of the Public Service Sector — which we will roll out this year to create a more unified and digital government service system.”

Ruku added that the policy will also ensure public servants are better equipped, retrained, and facilitated to meet the evolving needs of society.

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