The government is set to introduce tracking devices in all government vehicles as part of sweeping reforms aimed at improving accountability.
In a statement on Thursday, August 6, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said the reforms were prompted by persistent challenges in the management of government vehicles, including the misuse of official registration plates.
“The misuse of government vehicle registration plates, gaps in fuel and mileage records, and failure to account for donor-funded vehicles after the closure of projects undermine public service and erode accountability. Every shilling spent on fuel, insurance, maintenance and vehicle replacement belongs to the taxpayer and must support the delivery of services to wananchi,” he wrote.
Koskei convened a meeting bringing together representatives from the Executive, Parliament, the Judiciary and security agencies to review the operational framework governing government vehicles and identify ways of strengthening compliance with existing policies.
“I held a consultative meeting with representatives of the Executive, Parliament, Judiciary and security agencies to review the operational protocols governing Government vehicles.
“We discussed how to enforce the relevant policies in a manner that responds to changing transport needs, advances in technology and growing accountability requirements,” he added.
According to Koskei, the reforms will revolve around the Government Vehicle Management System, which is designed to provide centralized, real-time monitoring of the entire government fleet and improve accountability in vehicle operations.
“At the centre of these reforms is the Government Vehicle Management System (GVMS), a centralised digital platform that will provide real-time oversight of every Government vehicle, its authorised driver, fuel consumption, mileage and maintenance history,” he explained.
Koskei further said the government is working to establish a single verified database of all government vehicles by consolidating information from ministries, departments, agencies and county governments.
The database will include safeguards to ensure data integrity, transparency and cybersecurity, while all government vehicles will be equipped with tracking systems under existing protocols.
“We also reviewed progress towards establishing a comprehensive and validated database of the entire Government fleet. Data from all Ministries, Departments, Agencies and counties will be verified to create one authoritative record.
“We will implement the system with strong safeguards for data integrity, transparency and cyber security. In line with existing protocols, every Government vehicle will also be fitted with a tracking system,” he further said.
Koskei noted that while digital systems will strengthen oversight, the success of the reforms will also depend on the conduct of public officers entrusted with government vehicles.
“Technology alone, however, will not guarantee accountability. Public officers entrusted with Government vehicles must exercise responsibility, uphold discipline and ensure that these assets serve the public interest. This calls for capable human capital, clear institutional responsibility and consistent enforcement,” he concluded.
This comes weeks after the Ministry of Public Service handed over the findings of a comprehensive payroll audit and forensic investigation to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
In a statement on Wednesday, July 8, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said the ministry had officially presented the audit and forensic reports to the DCI after briefing investigators on both the process undertaken and the findings contained in the reports.
“As part of the payroll reforms in the Ministry, today alongside my Principal Secretary Dr. Jane Kere Imbunya we officially handed over the human resource information system (payroll system) audit and forensic reports to the the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) led by its Director Mr. Mohammed Amin at Harambee House after a briefing to appraise the DCI team on the process and the findings of the audit,” he wrote.
Ruku said the audit forms part of a reform agenda that has been underway for the past year to strengthen payroll management and eliminate weaknesses.
“Over the past year, the Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes, under the State Department for Public Service and Human Capital Development, has spearheaded a comprehensive payroll reform programme aimed at modernizing payroll management, strengthening governance, and addressing systemic weaknesses identified through independent audits,” he added.
Ruku noted that the reform programme has involved verifying payroll records, upgrading the government’s human resource information system, creating payroll audit units in ministries, departments and agencies, and introducing additional oversight mechanisms to improve accountability.
“These reforms have included the verification of public service payroll data, enhancement of the Human Resource Information System (HRIS-Ke), establishment of Payroll Audit Units across Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and the implementation of measures to improve oversight and accountability,” he stated.
Ruku further said the government has adopted a coordinated approach to implementing the recommendations arising from the audit after the findings were reviewed by Cabinet.
“Following the independent payroll audit and subsequent consideration by Cabinet, Government has resolved to implement a coordinated, whole-of-government response to address the findings and recommendations arising from the audit,” he concluded.