The Public Service Commission (PSC) has responded to issues raised by interns and Kenyans in general regarding the Commission’s recruitment and selection processes.
PSC stated that it received a petition from representatives of interns who previously served in Ministries, State Departments, Agencies (MDAs), and County Governments under the Public Service Internship Programme (PSIP), Digital Literacy Programme (DLP), and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) programme.
This comes after Gen Z made several demands including an end to corruption and nepotism within the public service, an audit of hiring practices since 2018, the removal of ghost workers, the dismissal of individuals with fake certificates, and the enforcement of retirement age policies.
The commission explained that, procedurally, it recruits on behalf of public institutions and employs individuals based on requests from MDAs.
“MDAs submit requests to the Commission after receiving approval from the National Treasury on the availability of funds to cater for employment. Job vacancy indents received by PSC from MDAs detail qualifications and number of staff required,” reads the statement in part.
“The Commission then recruits, selects, and submits names of successful candidates to respective MDAs for formal offer of employment.”
It further pointed out that preferential treatment of PSIP or other interns in public service recruitments potentially violates constitutional provisions on merit and non-discrimination.
“Under Article 232 of the Constitution, the Commission is required to ensure fair competition and merit, as the basis of appointments and promotions; representation of Kenya’s diverse communities; and adequate and equal opportunities for appointment, training and advancement, at all levels of the public service, of (I) men and women; (ii) the members of all ethnic groups; and (iii) persons with disabilities,” reads the statement in part.
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Furthermore, PSC noted that it conducts its recruitment processes on the basis of criteria outlined in the job advertisement as well as constitutional requirements that include skills and competencies.
Others include representation of diverse communities, gender balance, geographical spread, PWD considerations and other applicable affirmative considerations.
This, it says is aimed at ensuring that all Kenyans are accorded a fair opportunity to compete for and access employment opportunities in the public service
Commission established the PSIP programme in 2019 with the objective of equipping graduates with requisite skills, work ethics, and hands-on experience to prepare them for the job market.
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The programme also offers the youth financial incentives in the form of a monthly stipend of Kenya Shillings 25,000.
As of today, the programme has cumulatively benefited 25,200 interns from Cohort I to Cohort VI since its inception.
Despite limited employment opportunities in the public service, the Commission said it has competitively recruited 1,964 interns alongside other job applicants to take up advertised posts in Ministries and State Departments.
PSC said it will continue to work with all actors, including the private sector to mitigate the growing rate of unemployment in the country and eliminate structural barriers to increased economic and job opportunities for the young people.
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