Several staff at the Rift Valley Regional Headquarters were caught off guard and locked out of their offices on Monday morning after Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku made an unannounced visit to assess punctuality and service delivery.

CS Ruku arrived at the premises at exactly 8:00 am on Monday, June 23, 2025, and immediately ordered the main gates to be locked, barring latecomers from accessing the building. He then toured the offices within the compound, many of which remained locked, while others had only a handful of staff present.

“I came here at 8 am and instructed those gates to be closed,” said Ruku. “I have been to most of these offices, and they are empty, and it is almost like that in all headquarters across the country.”

The visit appeared to be part of a wider government initiative aimed at enforcing discipline, efficiency, and accountability within public institutions. CS Ruku expressed his concern over the lax attitude observed among public servants and warned that such behaviour undermines the government’s ability to deliver services.

“We are supposed to be in our offices at the right time and we must have the right attitude,” he said.

“If we get it wrong, even the services we offer to the people will be wrong. The people of Kenya are demanding a lot from the government, beginning with the President to you civil servants.”

He added that the responsibility of delivering government services lies not just with top leadership but with all levels of public service.

“How do you want the President to fulfil the promises he made to the people of Kenya if you are not discharging your duties?” Ruku posed.

“The President cannot come and sit in all these offices. He depends on you to ensure services are offered timely and efficiently, but with this kind of attitude, we may not help the government of Kenya.”

While acknowledging the challenges facing public servants — including issues related to training, morale, and motivation — the CS noted that solutions were being explored. He revealed that a policy proposal aimed at reforming the public service is set to be tabled before the Cabinet.

“Bearing in mind all these challenges, we have a job to do and we have to be committed,” Ruku stated. “We have to familiarise ourselves with Article 232 of our Constitution that talks about the values and principles of public service, including high standards of professional ethics and efficient, effective and economic use of resources.”

CS Ruku commended the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the Regional Coordinator of Probation, the Immigration Department, and the Regional Surveyor’s office for having staff present and ready to work on time. In contrast, in several other offices, only interns and officers on attachment had reported to duty by 8:00 am.

EARLY MORNING VISIT TO RIFT VALLEY REGIONAL NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES, NAKURU

This morning, I paid an early morning visit to Regional National Government Offices in Nakuru to check on their operational delivery of public services to Kenyans in need of government services.… pic.twitter.com/WiYaNLxKRQ

— Geoffrey Kiringa RUKU (@gk_ruku) June 23, 2025