Training budget cuts have impacted effective service delivery in the Public Service; Committee on Labour told

Training budget cuts have impacted effective service delivery in the Public Service; Committee on Labour told

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬,
𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

The Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Hon. Justin Muturi has highlighted the critical need to reinstate the training budget for public servants emphasizing that the lack of adequate training has created significant skills and competency gaps among public officers at all levels of government. 

This, he noted, has led to skills and competency gaps among public officers across all levels of government which has negatively affected service delivery.

He spoke before the Departmental Committee on Labour, chaired by Hon. Erick Muchangi (Runyenjes) while representing the State Department for Public Service during the consideration of Supplementary Estimates II for the Financial Year 2024/25.

Muturi also told the committee that the consistent reduction of training funds over the years has severely impacted the operations of the Kenya School of Government (KSG), a key institution responsible for capacity building within the public sector.

“The subsequent budget cuts on training for public officers have resulted in low collections of Appropriations in Aid (AIA) by the Kenya School of Government due to reduced enrollment in training courses,” Muturi stated.

To address these challenges, Hon. Muturi urged the committee to ring-fence training funds for public officers to ensure sustainable income for the Kenya School of Government.

He stressed that such measures would not only bolster the institution’s operations but also contribute to building a highly skilled and competent public sector workforce.

“Investing in training is investing in the future of our public service. We must prioritize capacity building to ensure that our public officers are equipped with the necessary skills to deliver quality services to Kenyans,” Muturi added.

Other entities which appeared before the committee include Public Service Commission; the State Department for Labour and Skills Development, led by Principal Secretary Mr. Shadrack Mwadime; and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

Hon. Muchangi assured the entities that their concerns would be considered in the committee’s report and reiterated the committee’s commitment to ensuring that critical areas are funded.

“We understand the current resource constrain but we will endeavor to ensure that the necessary resources are allocated to support you deliver on your mandates,” Muchangi said.