BORROWING MATIANG’I’S PLAYBOOK: WILL RUKU’S CRACKDOWN FIX KENYA’S PUBLIC SERVICE?
Ruku’s surprise inspections echo Matiang’i’s style, but catching absent officers is only the start. Will they lead to real accountability in public service?
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For years, Fred Matiang’i earned a reputation as one of Kenya’s toughest government enforcers. Whether he was serving as Education Cabinet Secretary or later heading the Interior docket, his management style was unmistakable: surprise inspections, public confrontations and little patience for government officers who failed to deliver.
His unannounced visits to schools became particularly memorable. Headteachers could never be entirely certain when the CS would walk through their gates, inspect facilities, demand accountability for public funds or question the state of learning in their institutions. The message was simple: public office was not an opportunity to enjoy privileges but a responsibility that demanded results.
Now, Geoffrey Ruku appears to be borrowing from that same playbook.
The Public Service Cabinet Secretary has made surprise visits to government offices across the country, exposing worrying levels of absenteeism and confronting officers over their apparent disregard for official working hours. From Nakuru to Kisumu, Mombasa, Nyeri and most recently Kajiado, his inspections have repeatedly revealed offices where permanent employees are conspicuously absent, leaving interns and junior staff to keep operations running.
In some instances, Ruku has locked out latecomers, publicly challenged senior officers and warned those responsible for human resource management that failure to enforce discipline could attract consequences. His warnings against officers taking Christmas holidays before officially authorised leave have further reinforced his tough approach.
It is easy to see why comparisons with Matiang’i have emerged. Both men understand the political and administrative power of an unexpected visit. A government office that knows its leadership could appear without warning is less likely to take punctuality and attendance for granted.
But while Ruku appears comfortable adopting Matiang’i's methods, filling his shoes requires considerably more than catching public servants away from their desks.
Matiang’i's reputation was not built entirely on dramatic inspections. During his tenure at the Education Ministry, he became associated with efforts to tighten national examination security and restore credibility to an examination system that had struggled with widespread irregularities. His subsequent leadership at Interior also demonstrated an appetite for centralised coordination and firm administrative enforcement.
Ruku, on the other hand, is still at the early stages of establishing what his enforcement approach will achieve. His visits have exposed a problem that Kenyans have complained about for years, but exposing a problem and solving it are two different responsibilities.
For instance, if a CS discovers that most permanent employees are absent from their offices, what happens after the cameras leave? Are the responsible officers investigated? Are payroll irregularities identified? Are disciplinary measures consistently implemented? And, more importantly, does service delivery improve?
These are the questions that will ultimately determine whether Ruku is building a more accountable public service or simply becoming another government official whose confrontational moments generate headlines.
There is also a bigger question about the kind of public service Kenya wants. Government institutions should not require a Cabinet Secretary to make surprise appearances before employees can report to work on time. Accountability should be embedded in the system through effective supervision, transparent performance management and consequences for persistent negligence.
Ruku deserves credit for bringing attention to a problem that directly affects ordinary Kenyans seeking government services. However, the real measure of his success will not be how many officers he catches absent or how many offices he visits. It will be whether he creates a culture in which public servants understand their responsibilities even when no senior government official is watching.
Matiang’i left a formidable reputation. Ruku has shown that he is willing to walk a similar path. Whether he can match that legacy, however, will depend on what he builds beyond the surprise inspections.
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Written by FRANKLINE NYANDORO
Reporter and staff writer at Getembe News.
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