Mombasa Huduma Centre Manager Harrison Yogo has been recognised as a national hero in the category of Statesmanship during this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations held in Kitui County.
The recognition adds to a growing list of local and international accolades that Mr Yogo has received for his outstanding leadership in public service.
Among them is the Spirit of Detroit Award, presented by the Detroit City Council in the United States of America (USA) for exceptional achievement and dedication to improving quality of life.
Earlier this year, the Mombasa Huduma Centre under his leadership was ranked the best-performing Huduma Centre nationally, earning both the Best Manager and Best Team awards.
In June this year, Yogo was among a select group of young African leaders chosen for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, a six-week leadership and public management programme sponsored by the USA Government.
Speaking exclusively to KNA, Mr Yogo said the recognitions have motivated him to continue improving public service delivery.
“This has been a remarkable year for me and the entire Huduma Mombasa team. Being recognised nationally and internationally proves that dedication to service is never in vain. This award is not mine alone; it belongs to every public servant committed to serving citizens with integrity and purpose,” he said.
The National Heroes Council cited Mr Yogo’s leadership in community outreach and innovation, particularly the Huduma Mashinani programme, which took government services closer to residents through mobile service tents.
“In partnership with Mombasa Cement, we reached about 30,000 residents at Kibarani Miracle Park, offering services such as ID and passport issuance, NSSF registration, and SHA enrolment, all free of charge,” he noted.
Under his leadership, the Mombasa Huduma Centre has emerged as a model of innovation in service delivery. The centre serves an average of 2,400 clients daily, operates from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and offers 88 services through 28 service desks staffed by 133 officers.
To improve efficiency, the centre has introduced digital solutions such as the Track My Service platform, which alerts clients via SMS when documents are ready for collection. A feedback system allows citizens to share compliments or complaints, which are reviewed regularly to improve accountability and response time.
The centre has also established an innovation department where staff submit ideas to enhance service delivery. Exceptional ideas are rewarded through recognition and incentives.
“Our goal is to make government services efficient, accessible, and citizen-centric. Courtesy is one of our core values, and we constantly train staff to uphold professionalism and empathy,” Yogo explained.
Beyond daily operations, the centre is involved in community and youth empowerment programmes. It has adopted a children’s home run by the Salvation Army, provides mentorship and supplies, and collaborates with Swahilipot Hub to train youth on entrepreneurship and digital literacy.
Mr Yogo said he draws inspiration from three principles that define his leadership: “Leadership with purpose”, John F. Kennedy’s call to serve one’s country, and Mahatma Gandhi’s belief that “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
By Sitati Reagan and Hassan Bahati
