CS Ruku calls for stronger collaboration between gov't and private sector

Speaking at the third Africa Women Transformative Summit (AWTS 3.0) in Nairobi, on Tuesday, Ruku challenged women leaders and corporate executives to take a leading role in driving socio-economic transformation through investment, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The summit brought together women leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers and corporate executives from 16 countries, with discussions focusing on inclusive leadership, digital transformation, economic empowerment and improved public service delivery.

Ruku commended the organizers, Top Level Management (TLM), for creating a platform that promotes leadership, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment across Africa while bringing together leaders to discuss opportunities and challenges facing businesses and communities.

The Cabinet Secretary challenged women leaders in the corporate sector to increase investment in local communities and seize opportunities emerging from the digital economy, particularly in artificial intelligence, blockchain technology and cloud computing, which he said present significant prospects for innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation.

He praised the growing contribution of women and young people to Kenya's and Africa's economies, describing them as key drivers of innovation, enterprise development and economic growth in both the formal and informal sectors.

"Women and young people have significantly grown to become the engines of Africa's formal and informal economies," he noted. 

However, Ruku noted that cultural and structural barriers continue to limit access to resources and opportunities for many women and young entrepreneurs, preventing them from fully exploiting their potential.

He emphasised that empowering women and youth through access to technology, skills development and investment opportunities would be critical in positioning Kenya and the continent to benefit from the rapidly evolving global digital landscape.

The Cabinet Secretary highlighted ongoing reforms within the public service aimed at improving service delivery and creating a more business-friendly environment.

He said the ministry is investing in human capital development through leadership and professional training programmes at the Kenya School of Government, while supporting accreditation and certification of human resource practitioners through the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM) and the Human Resource Management Professionals Examination Board (HRMPEB).

Ruku added that the government is training and deploying Universal Public Servants across all 59 Huduma Centres to improve service delivery and ensure citizens receive quality services across the country's 47 counties.

He said digitization remains a key pillar in enhancing government efficiency and responsiveness, noting that more than 20,000 government services have already been digitized to improve accessibility, reduce queues and curb opportunities for corruption.

"We continue to work with the Ministry of ICT to digitize more government services and end the solicitation of bribes for government services," he said.

According to the Cabinet Secretary, a thriving private sector depends on an efficient, responsive and customer-focused public service. He warned that poor service delivery undermines economic growth and investor confidence.

"The era of rude and dismissive public servants must come to an end," Ruku said, adding that government employees must embrace professionalism and a citizen-centred approach to service delivery.

He announced that the ministry will work closely with the Office of the Ombudsman to assess complaints from members of the public regarding poor service delivery and hold accountable officers who fail to meet expected standards.