Nairobi: Governor Anne Waiguru has urged the national government to expand Huduma Centers to the sub-county level to ease access to essential government services by rural communities.
According to Kenya News Agency, Waiguru expressed her support for the Huduma Centers while speaking at the Kerugoya Huduma Center during a rapid registration drive for birth certificates and national identity cards launched by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen. She highlighted the program as a significant benefit for young people. Waiguru emphasized the need to bring these services closer to the grassroots by expanding them to sub-counties, describing it as a potential "game-changer" for the local population.
Waiguru, who initiated the Huduma Kenya model in 2014 during her tenure as Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning, praised its impact on transforming government service delivery. From a single pilot project, the program has expanded to 59 centers across the country, including five in Nairobi. By 2024, the centers were serving thousands of clients daily through physical counters, call centers, and digital platforms.
The Huduma Centers function as one-stop shops offering a wide range of services, such as registration of births and deaths, issuance of ID cards, renewal of driving licenses, NHIF and NSSF services, KRA support, and business registrations. This setup has significantly reduced queues and bureaucratic delays.
Waiguru also addressed concerns regarding the turnaround time for National ID issuance, noting improvements due to additional machines and systems. She advocated for further decentralization of the initiative to enhance its transformative impact.
The Huduma Kenya initiative has garnered local and international recognition, including the 2015 United Nations Public Service Award and acknowledgment from the African Association of Public Administration and Management for its efficiency in public service delivery. It remains a flagship program under Kenya's Vision 2030.
At the county level, Waiguru has implemented a similar model by launching a Huduma-style service desk at the Kirinyaga county headquarters. This facility consolidates devolved services, offers targeted support for persons with disabilities, and eliminates the need for the traditional office-to-office runaround.