By J, KNA
Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service (HOPS), Felix Koskei, has called on public servants to adopt honest performance scorecards as the Government initiates an uncompromising performance culture across ministries, departments and agencies ahead of 2026.
Koskei said every public institution and officer must clearly know their mandate, measure their delivery, and candidly acknowledge existing gaps if the Public Service is to match the expectations of Kenyans.
He spoke during the 2025 End-of-Year Public Service Reflection Dinner and Agenda Setting for 2026 in Kisumu.
The event brought together Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Governors, Members of Parliament and heads of State corporations, constitutional commissions and senior public servants.
Koskei congratulated officers and institutions honoured during the awards ceremony, saying their recognition was “the practical proof” of the high-performance culture that the Government is entrenching.
He urged those who were not feted to take the outcome as motivation to “stretch further” so that more names feature in future honours’ lists.
Koskei noted that the awards signaled a shift from symbolic recognition to performance-based distinction, adding that the Public Service is setting “uncompromising standards” as the new minimum for public officers.
Reflecting on the year, he admitted that service delivery had long been undermined by slow responses, delays, complacency and a tendency to postpone decisions, all of which had frustrated citizens.
“In 2025, we made a deliberate decision to confront these habits,” he said, citing programmes rolled out by the Government to reorient public servants towards faster, more responsive and results-focused service, in line with the President’s call for a disciplined and honest Public Service.
He described 2025 as a “rebuilding year” for governance, with reforms targeting weakened structures, leadership responsibility and coordination across the Public Service. Every officer, he emphasised, is now expected to clearly understand their role and the deliverables.
The head of public service highlighted integrity and accountability gains, including the Zero Fault Audit campaign, which he said has strengthened financial controls and improved stewardship of public resources across State entities.
He also reported progress in modernising government operations through digital platforms, noting that new systems have for instance enhanced transparency in official travel, quickened the processing of Power of Mercy petitions and reduced costs within the correctional system.
Ongoing engagements with regulatory authorities and wide-reaching sensitization on Prompt Corrective Action, he added are helping to reinforce discipline, compliance and accountability in Government.
Looking ahead, Koskei said 2026 must mark the transition from laying foundations to delivering outcomes that citizens can “see, feel and experience” at service centres, ministries, counties and agencies across the country.
He reminded public servants that 2026 is the last full year for the Administration to demonstrate measurable impact before the 2027 General Election, noting that Kenyans will judge performance based on jobs, economic resilience, opportunities for youth, food security, industrial growth and improved governance.
Koskei urged institutions to prepare candid scorecards and embrace the 2026 task to “know your gap, own your gap and close your gap,” and to ensure that the performance of the Administration becomes an undeniable reality to Kenyans. He explained that Government’s presence and services must be felt even in the remotest parts of the country.
“We have the tools, we have the direction, and we have the full support of the President,” he said, calling on public servants to enter 2026 determined to close outstanding gaps and deepen reforms for the benefit of all Kenyans.
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, who was the chief guest at the dinner, said that the Public Service had recorded renewed coherence in 2025, driven by bold reforms championed by the President and a stronger ethos of coordination, accountability and a whole-of-government approach to service delivery.
Mbandi stressed that integrity and accountability remain at the heart of effective government, describing corruption as a betrayal of public trust and a direct threat to national development. He insisted that corruption and service delivery cannot coexist.
Mbadi added that, with fiscal space still tight, every shilling spent must deliver measurable impact. He called for elimination of wastage, curbing of non-essential expenditure and stricter cost controls backed by governance reforms such as the Zero Fault Audit campaign.
He said continuous compliance; early detection of vulnerabilities and prompt corrective action must become a professional standard in the Public Service as the Government moves into 2026.
Others present at the dinner included Cabinet Secretaries Alfred Mutua (Labour & Social Protection), Geoffrey Ruku (Public Service), Julius Migos Ogamba (Education), Beatrice Askul Moe (EAC & ASALS), Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives & MSME Development) and Dr Opiyo Wandayi (Energy & Petroleum).
Kisumu Deputy Governor, Dr Mathew Owili; COTU Secretary General, Francis Atwoli; Principal Secretaries, legislators, leaders of Constitutional Commissions, Independent Offices, State Corporations and public servants from across the country were also in attendance.
