The Kenyan government is developing a mobile application aimed at monitoring civil servants’ attendance and productivity, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has announced.
Speaking during an official visit to Samburu County on Wednesday, CS Ruku expressed concern over rising cases of absenteeism and lateness among public servants across the country. He said the new app will track civil servants’ movements, provide real-time updates on reporting times, and record cases of non-attendance at work stations.
“Very soon, I have embarked with the ministry to ensure we are going to come up with a mobile application where every civil servant in the Republic of Kenya will download that application,” Ruku stated. “It will be able to tell us whether you are at the workstation, on leave, at a workshop, what time you reported, what time you left, and even whether you are on medical, paternity, or maternity leave.”
According to the CS, the application will be mandatory for all government employees, and it is expected to enhance service delivery by ensuring accountability within the public sector.
The announcement follows Ruku’s recent impromptu visit to the Central Regional Headquarters in Nyeri. During the inspection, he noted significant discrepancies in staff attendance across various departments, sparking the push for tighter monitoring mechanisms.
Ruku emphasized that civil servants who fail to report to work without valid reasons will be treated as ghost workers. “Those found absent without authorization are effectively defrauding the employer. Ghost-working is a crime punishable by fines, jail time, or both,” he warned.
He further revealed that surprise visits to government offices will continue as part of a wider initiative to assess service delivery and workforce efficiency. This approach, Ruku noted, aligns with the Kenya Kwanza administration’s commitment to accountability and implementation of its development agenda.
The mobile app initiative reflects a broader digital transformation effort by the government to streamline operations, curb absenteeism, and rebuild public confidence in service provision.
