Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has revealed that the government is exploring ways to streamline the process of obtaining police clearance and good conduct certificates by ending the repeated fingerprint requirement.

Speaking during an interview, on Monday night, September 1, 2025, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said the plan falls under a broader sector transformation policy designed to boost efficiency in government. He explained that the goal is to create a unified digital government where all services are centralised and citizens no longer need to go through multiple bureaucratic steps.

“At the moment, if you want to get a police clearance certificate, you have to walk or drive somewhere and give your fingerprints every year. Is it possible to have fingerprints stored once and for all, and not be required again and again?” he asked.

Ruku said a centralised system would allow fingerprints to be stored securely, cutting costs and reducing the inconvenience faced by Kenyans. He added that the same platform could also eliminate the need for attaching piles of certificates and documents when applying for government services, since institutions would be able to communicate digitally.

Ruku champions digital transformation

The CS pointed to existing innovations such as the digital platform for universal healthcare, which has already simplified access to medical services. He argued that the same model could be applied to education and employment records, enabling agencies to instantly verify whether someone graduated from a school or university, without requiring citizens to carry hard copies.

Beyond convenience, Ruku stressed that digitisation would help address long-standing challenges such as fake certificates, falsified ages to delay retirement, and corruption in service delivery.

“We need to have an efficient public service that addresses the needs of young people. The average age in Kenya is 22 years, and they want services straight from their mobile phones, without unnecessary bureaucracy,” he said.

However, he underscored that reforms must also safeguard data security, warning of risks such as cyberattacks by foreign actors. Protecting sensitive national data, he noted, would be as important as improving service delivery.

This vision aligns with other reforms Ruku has spearheaded. In July, he announced that the government is developing a mobile app to monitor civil servants’ attendance and performance. The app, which will be mandatory for all public officers, is expected to curb absenteeism and ghost workers.