Nairobi: A total of Sh1.2 billion has been allocated to compensate civil servants who sustain permanent injuries or lose their lives while on duty. Addressing National Government Administration officers in Vihiga County on Monday in the DIDC hall during a NYOTA project sensitization meeting, Principal Secretary State Department for Public Service and Human Capital Development, Dr. Jane Kere Imbunya, announced plans for the compensation initiative.
According to Kenya News Agency, Dr. Imbunya emphasized that her state department is responsible for the welfare of all civil servants in Kenya, including employment matters in collaboration with the Public Service Commission, their promotion, remuneration, and compensation. She noted that the president had recently issued an executive order outlining the compensation process for civil servants injured or deceased in the line of duty, with Sh1.2 billion allocated for this purpose.
Dr. Imbunya acknowledged the challenges faced by the National Health Insurance Fund in compensating affected civil servants and their dependents, which led to significant suffering. She assured that her department is working on creating a plan to specify who will be responsible for compensating victims or their beneficiaries in such cases.
Furthermore, Dr. Imbunya urged officers to utilize the guiding and counseling services available in her department to ensure better mental health, which in turn would enhance the quality of services provided to citizens. She also mentioned initiatives to clean the payroll by eliminating ghost workers, allowing funds to be redirected towards development.
Highlighting issues at the county level, Dr. Imbunya pointed out that some county governments lack proper staff establishment structures. She added that certain governors have been hiring officers irregularly and paying them through non-standard channels, bypassing the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS). A team is scheduled to visit county governments in two weeks to address these payroll issues.