The Government of Kenya is moving to bring all public bodies onto a single payroll system. The Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Geoffrey Ruku, has issued a directive requiring every part of the public service that draws salaries from the Government of Kenya to migrate onto one common payroll platform. The move is aimed at creating a more orderly and accountable way of paying public servants across the country.
According to the Cabinet Secretary, all ministries, state departments, county governments, agencies and departments that get salaries from the Government of Kenya must be on the same payroll platform. He identified this platform as the Human Resource Information System, which is to serve as the central system through which public servants are paid.
The directive comes with a firm deadline. Mr. Ruku stated that any agency or department that does not comply with the directive within one month will face direct consequences. In such cases, he said, their salaries will not be remitted, a warning meant to push every institution to move quickly onto the new system.
The Cabinet Secretary placed particular responsibility on the officials who manage staff records and pay. He addressed human resource managers and officers directly, making clear that they are expected to ensure their institutions meet the requirement so that salaries continue to be processed without interruption.
Mr. Ruku linked the directive to a broader push for accountability and innovation in the public service. Speaking at an event that showcased innovations aimed at improving service delivery, he urged public institutions to embrace new tools and to serve Kenyans more effectively and efficiently. He noted that the Human Resource Information System was developed in collaboration with a university partner as one such practical innovation.
The Cabinet Secretary said the future demands public institutions that are agile and able to bridge gaps in service delivery. He called on the public service to uphold the principles and values of accountability to the people of the Republic of Kenya, framing the single payroll platform as part of wider efforts to make government services more efficient and transparent.