Felix Koskei decries poor ethics and work culture in public service

Ethic and work culture in the public service has deteriorated to unacceptable levels, the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has said.

“Adherence to work working hours, dress code, official language, codes of conduct and norms and standards is extremely poor,” he said on Tuesday when he officially opened the 27th Annual National Human Resource Management Conference at a Naivasha hotel.

At the same time, Mr. Koskei said the public service is currently dealing with mental health challenges.

“I am informed that the statistics point to a crisis that has threatened productivity. HR professionals must make effort to identify and mitigate risks that lead to such occurrences,” he said.

Other challenges he pointed out were unfair labour practices, poor quality of customer service, lack of clear succession management in government institutions, maladministration in promotions, deployments, designations and staff development.

“I am aware you even have career trainees who attend every training, seminar or conference, even those that you have already undertaken,” he said.

The week-long conference, organized by the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM), brought together over 1,000 HR directors from both the public and private sector.

Among those in attendance were Amos Gathecha (Public Service Principal Secretary), Philip Odera (Chairman, IHRM), and Quresha Abdulahi (Executive Director, IHRM).

Mr. Koskei also called on the HR professionals to promote diversity in their work places and ensure that their stations are not anchored on ethnic or religious enclaves.

“When a people recognize the power, wealth and potential contained in their diversity, great things are realized. A nation divided on the basis of diversity is a nation weakened,” said the Public Service boss.

Mr. Koskei directed that all public HR practitioners should register with the IHRM, the public entity charged with regulating and maintaining standards and enforcing discipline within the profession.

During the event Mr. Koskei was made an honorary member of IHRM.