Village elders will begin receiving their monthly stipends from the government starting today, Interior Permanent Secretary (PS) Raymond Omollo said on Tuesday. Speaking at the opening of induction training for 530 newly appointed Deputy County Commissioners, Omollo noted that the stipends will help the new DCCs carry out their roles effectively.
“As the President has directed, beginning tomorrow, for the first time in the country we will provide stipends for our village elders so they can support the work you do across the country,” PS Omollo said.
Presenting the budget statement for the coming financial year, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said the state has set aside Sh3.9 billion for stipends for village elders. He added that the funding will strengthen local administrative capacity and acknowledge the contributions village elders make in tackling security issues and other challenges facing communities.
The Ministry of Interior estimates that the country has about 110,000 village elders who support the national government at the grassroots level. For their welfare, the ministry has proposed paying each village elder a Sh3,000 monthly stipend.
For years, village elders have served at the lowest level of informal administration, working alongside chiefs and assistant chiefs to resolve disputes, share government information, and support security surveillance within their communities.
At the event, which also brought in Deputy County Commissioners who had been promoted recently but were yet to be inducted, PS Omollo said the new appointees will be guided on their duties in coordinating the national government’s agenda and state priority projects. He described them as frontline officers responsible for driving implementation at the grassroots level.
“This training has been designed to give you a deeper insight into the responsibilities of the office that you hold, the policies and the procedures that guide our work, the laws that define your authority and the values that must shape your conduct as a public servant,” the PS said.
He added that the officers will also receive training on the standard operating procedures for the incoming National Government Administration Police Unit (NGAPU) ahead of its rollout so they understand the unit’s mandate.
PS Omollo further reminded the officers of what Kenyans expect from public service. He said the majority of the population consists of young people who have access to a wide range of technology.
“The median age is about 19-20 years in this country, so you can begin to imagine the kind of population you are dealing with, and there is a lot of advancement in technology; some of the things we used to do five to six years ago are no longer possible, or even if we are to do them, there are better ways of doing them. So how do we embrace all these changes and technological advancements for purposes of making our services to the public much more efficient and also acceptable?” he asked.
PS Omollo added that the country now sits at a point where citizens want to play a bigger role in government decisions. He urged the Deputy County Commissioners to use their public forums to listen to the public and reflect citizen concerns in their work.
“Citizens expect government officials to be responsive, transparent, innovative and results-oriented. They expect timely delivery of services, prudent management of public resources, respect, fairness and visible development outcomes,” he said.
He also called on the DCCs to lead effectively and work closely with colleagues in other state departments to deliver the government agenda.
“There are other agencies that sit with you at the sub-counties, the various committees that you chair. As the chair, there is a level of inspiration that you must give to the rest of the team; they must be able to look up to you,” PS Omollo said.
He noted that the government wants to build a cadre of fully capable administrators and is therefore rolling out tools and reskilling programmes. He said the initiative will also address long-standing challenges, including mobility issues that have affected many DCCs for years.
The PS assured the officers that the mobility challenge will be addressed within the next three months. He, however, cautioned those dealing with alcoholism and drug addiction to agree to rehabilitation support from the state.
“The face of the government cannot be a drunk DCC in the morning, so we start with you,” he said. “There is that which you must deal with, and we will support you to help manage it. If it becomes impossible, I think there is room to give people lighter responsibilities. As your PS, I will not superintend over drunk officers.”
He further warned the DCCs against graft and engaging in cartelism.