Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has asked the Parliamentary Service Commission and the Council Of Governors to adopt the leave framework in use by civil servants for standardisation.
In a circular to state officers dated September 27 copied to National Assembly Speake Moses Wetang'ula, Koskei said this will ensure leave serves the recuperative purpose it is intended for.
In the circular, Koskei said it is imperative that public officers do not accumulate more than 45 days per financial year commute unutilised leave days to cash or carry over more than 15 unspent leave days to a new year.
"We call upon the Parliamentary Service Commission and Council of Governors to similarly consider customising the above framework for annual leave utilisation within the context of the guidelines herein for standardisation," Koskei said.
The circular was sent to the Attorney General, all Cabinet Secretaries, principal secretaries and authorised officers, chairpersons and CEOs of state corporations and Independent offices and commissions.
Koskei said the circular was informed by information that leave utilisation was not being adhered to in line with the Public Service Human Resource and Procedure Manual 2016 and respective HR policies of state corporations.
He asked the officers to prepare leave rotas through the respective heads of department and human resource managers for every public officer under their jurisdiction mindful of the continuity of service delivery.
"Officers with accumulated or unutilised leave days should proceed on leave as per the plan/rota guided by the remits and exigencies of duty," Koskei said.
While speaking on September 21 at the Kenya School Government during a consultative meeting with ministries, departments and agencies, Koskei said the directive was part of government's strategy to curb corruption.
This, he said, was to ensure there is no more monetising of leave days by way of public servants accumulating leave days and then commuting them to cash.
In the circular, Koskei said any commutation of unutilised leave must be via prior written permission of his office.
He directed that all accumulated leave days must be utilised by June 30, 2024, including those already carried forward.
"The officers must provide evidence of the application forms indicating the line of supervisor deferment decision due to exigencies of duty to justify accumulated days.
"Principal secretaries/accounting officers are directed to effect compliance with this directive that takes effect from the date of this circular," he said.
