- A spot check by the Star at the commission’s headquarters exhibited a flurry of activities.
- Early last year, the court, however, ruled the position unconstitutional following a petition by activist and Senator Okiya Omatatah
Image: COURTESY
President William Ruto has inched closer to finalising the formation of his government after the Public Service Commission closed applications for the CAS jobs.
By Thursday afternoon, two hours to 5pm, more than 4,000 applicants hoping to occupy the slots in each of the 22 ministries had submitted their applications.
The commission advertised the positions following the conclusion of the public participation process in its bid to regularise the position in the public service.
A spot check by the Star at the commission’s headquarters exhibited a flurry of activities as a large number of applicants checking in to drop their documents were witnessed.
“We are closing at 5pm as was indicated in the advertisement, you know we are working with timelines. On Friday we are going to begin scrutinising the documents,” an official who is not authorised to speak to the press said.
Shortlisting of successful candidates, the source added, will be made before the end of next week which will then pave way for the interviews.
Among those who submitted their documents in the two-week-long exercise are politicians and serving state officers who we cannot reveal names.
The invitation for public participation followed a proposal by Ruto to the commission in which he sought to establish the offices in accordance with the Constitution.
“The President has proposed to establish the offices of Chief Administrative Secretary, which will be offices in the public service and will be under the direction of Cabinet Secretaries,” commission’s chairperson Anthony Muchiri said in a notice.
The current CASs who are set to quit once the new team is appointed were appointed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018.
Early last year, the court, however, ruled the position unconstitutional following a petition by activist and Senator Okiya Omatatah.
A CAS is the second senior individual in a ministry after the CS.
Their roles entail responding to issues touching on the portfolio assigned to the office and providing liaison with the bicameral Parliament and county governments on matters of concurrent mandate and common interest.
Other mandates include providing inter-ministerial or sectorial coordination, representing the CS at any meeting as instructed and executing any other duties and responsibilities specifically assigned to the office by the CS.
Principal Secretaries on their part remain the accounting officers of their particular ministries and report directly to the CS.
Those privy to the process of picking the next new PSs confided to the Star that the commission has already forwarded a list of 150 candidates to the President.
Ruto is now expected to name the nominees for each of the ministries anytime from now.
The President is then required to transmit the list of his nominees to Parliament for vetting by the relevant departmental committees before being appointed and sworn into office.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)