NAIROBI, Kenya – The Ministry of Public Service has announced plans to overhaul how promotions are handled in government departments, promising a system that rewards merit over age and experience.
Speaking on the SemaNaSPox podcast on Tuesday, February 11, Public Service and Human Capital Development Principal Secretary Jane Imbunya said the changes will be implemented through the upcoming Public Service Transformation policy.
“We are penning a policy known as the public service reforms policy, and this is a gift for the youth of Kenya. You do not have to work for 50 years to become a director,” Imbunya said.
“Promotions will be based on merit. You could become a director at 25; you don’t have to wait until you are 50.”
Imbunya added that the policy aims to empower youth and tap into their potential through public service.
She also highlighted that additional opportunities for young Kenyans will be made available via the ongoing National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme, which offers grants of up to Sh50,000, training, and on-the-job experience to boost employment and financial inclusion.
“People who thought they didn’t have hope in life are now seeing the benefits, because their lives are being transformed through this programme, and we shall not stop,” she said.
The announcement comes just days after Imbunya instructed all civil servants nearing retirement to contact their payroll officers to ensure timely pension processing.
Workers will be issued a special code to be included in the government’s Pension Tracking Module, which went live last year.
