Africa Public Service Day, observed annually on 23 June, celebrates the role of public institutions and civil servants in driving inclusive development across the continent. This year’s celebrations were held from 10th to 12th June 2025 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
The 2025 theme, “Enhancing the Agility and Resilience of Public Institutions to Achieve Equitable Governance and Rapidly Address Historical Service Delivery Gaps,” calls for the urgent need to reimagine governance systems that can swiftly adapt to crises, correct long-standing inequalities, and meet the demands of all citizens, particularly those historically marginalized.
Head of Public Service Mr. Felix Koskei, whose speech was delivered by Deputy Chief of Staff Eliud Owalo, said the event was instrumental in nationally and across Africa where
Public service is about equity, impact, and innovation. Koskei noted that Kenya is on the right path of transformation where inclusive leadership and innovation have taken center stage in government operations. He cited the digitization of over 22,000 government services on the e-Citizen platform has improved efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery.
“Human Resource remains the engine of economic progress, and public servants must embrace institutional agility, technological investment, and cross-sector collaboration to advance the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA)” Mr. Koskei.
The Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Public Service, Hon. Geoffrey Ruku, noted that public servants play a key role in the country’s development in various sectors through service to the public. He urged the them to embrace innovation and responsiveness while discharging their duties.
The CS reiterated the need for timely, transparent, and efficient service for improved customer satisfaction. He added that the public service is committed to continue the digital transformation journey especially with the current emerging technologies like use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve efficiency and accountability.
CS Ruku said the launch of the Public Service Delivery Innovation Policy, will institutionalize a culture of continuous improvement and adaptive governance. The policy
aims to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness of public services through the introduction of new ideas, processes, or technologies. It provides a framework for generating, adopting, and scaling innovations within the public sector, ultimately enhancing citizen experience and achieving socio-economic progress.
The Principal Secretary for the State Department for Public Service Dr. Jane Kere Imbunya said the event was a great forum to interact with stakeholders and strengthen collaboration
between Kenya and other African countries particularly in capacity building, technical support, and public sector knowledge exchange.
The three-day continental conference brought together public servants from across Africa to showcase solutions aimed at building agile, resilient institutions and closing long-standing service delivery gaps. Various speakers and panelist highlighted several transformative initiatives designed to improve governance and service delivery.
The Authority was honored to join other public sector institutions in this noble event where we had a joint exhibition with our State Department for Irrigation. We created awareness on our mandate and projects and interacted with participants and stakeholders who visited our stand.
As the Authority in charge of the development of water infrastructure for irrigation, multi-purpose use and flood control, we seek to consider sustainable projects that can adapt to the climate change while addressing historical gaps especially in ASAL areas. Together, let’s champion innovation, resilience, and inclusive service delivery in Africa’s public sector.
