Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku Threatens Disciplinary Action Over Civil Servant Absenteeism

Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Geoffrey Ruku warned that civil servants who skip duty will face disciplinary measures after an unannounced inspection in Kajiado County on Monday November 2, 2026 revealed extensive absenteeism.

Arriving after 9am, Ruku said he wanted to verify reports of laxity and found that most staff were absent, with the few present being nearly 90 percent government interns rather than senior officers.

He added that human resource managers responsible for attendance records were also missing and announced that two officers in Kajiado would be disciplined and several senior staff would face action.

“I have arrived here in Kajiado to ensure that government employees, those working for the central government, are performing their duties properly. I received some reports suggesting a certain level of laxity, and I wanted to verify whether these claims, that there is laxity here in Kajiado, are true or not,” Ruku said.

The cabinet secretary noted that similar patterns had emerged during spot checks in Nakuru, Kisumu, Mombasa and Nyeri, where interns appeared more punctual than their supervisors.

“Furthermore, I have discovered that the human resource managers, those responsible for ensuring that everyone reports to their office and for providing accurate reports, are also absent. Regarding those under the Ministry of Public Service, which I oversee as Minister. I will ensure that I take immediate action today to guarantee that operations are conducted properly,” he stated.

Ruku reminded all public servants that the official Christmas holidays fall on Friday December 25 and Saturday December 26, 2026 and that leave beyond the gazetted days must follow approved arrangements, urging staff not to abandon duties before the holiday period.

He announced that unannounced inspections will continue across the country to monitor attendance and ensure discipline, saying, “Let me also say to all public servants serving in government that Christmas has not yet arrived. When Christmas comes, everyone will have an opportunity to go on Christmas leave and spend time with their families.”

The cabinet secretary also referenced his recent suspension of 84 government human resource managers and urged officials to remain committed, adding, “However, for now, let us remember that we still have one and a half months to serve the people of Kenya before we get to the Christmas holiday. Therefore, there should be no laxity in reporting to offices to serve Kenyans. I am saying that I will conduct impromptu visits in different parts of our country to ensure that we close the year as public servants who are committed to our duties and working hard.”