‘Absentee, Latecomer Civil Servants Will Be Considered Ghost Workers!’ – Ruto’s CS Warns
Geoffrey Ruku, the Public Service Cabinet Secretary, has issued a harsh warning to civil servants across the country.
Ruku warned that habitual absenteeism and chronic tardiness would no longer be allowed in government offices.
CS Ruku said that public personnel who fail to report for duty on time will now be classified as ghost workers.
He was addressing during an unscheduled visit at the Central Regional Headquarters in Nyeri on Tuesday morning.
“All absentees and latecomers in the public service will be treated as ghost workers,” Ruku stated.
The CS emphasized that such conduct undermines the dignity and efficiency of service delivery to the public.
Ruku, who has recently increased unannounced visits to government offices in numerous counties, expressed alarm over the decline in work ethic among public personnel.
Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku makes impromptu visit to gov’t offices in Nyeri, catches many skiving off work pic.twitter.com/mEYqOUbXWf
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) July 15, 2025
He stated that the government is dedicated to restoring discipline and accountability in the public sector.
“There is a need to bring back the public service working culture under the prevailing conditions to enhance service delivery to Kenyans,” he said.
“Many Kenyans seeking government services arrive early, only to find offices closed or staff missing.”
During his Nyeri inspection, Ruku discovered a huge disparity in timeliness among departments. Staff at the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and Huduma Centre were 98-100% prompt.
However, attendance in other government agencies was less than 50% as of 8:00 a.m., the formal reporting time per the 2016 Public Service Human Resource Policies and Procedures Manual.
The handbook establishes a 40-hour work week for public servants, which runs Monday through Friday.
Most regions have standard hours of 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., with Mombasa and northern counties opening somewhat earlier, at 7:30 a.m.
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In reaction to the findings, Ruku stated that his ministry, through deployed human resource officers, will implement stringent attendance requirements throughout all government institutions.
“The Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes will take necessary measures to enforce compliance, guided by the outcomes of these field inspections,” he stated.
Ruku further warned that failing to follow these guidelines could result in disciplinary action, including legal repercussions for gross misbehavior.
The move is part of a larger push by the government to streamline operations, eliminate ghost personnel, and boost public trust in official institutions.
‘Absentee, Latecomer Civil Servants Will Be Considered Ghost Workers!’ – Ruto’s CS Warns
