Archives 2023

The government today marked a significant milestone in the collective efforts to combat domestic violence in Kenya during the launch of the Protection Against Domestic Violence Rules (PADV).

The Protection against Domestic Violence Rules are designed to provide a robust legal framework that strengthens the support and protection mechanisms available to survivors of domestic violence. These rules emphasize prevention, intervention, and holistic support, reflecting a multi-sectoral approach that involves collaboration between government agencies, civil society organizations, and the community at large.

Speaking during the launch in Nairobi, Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Aisha Jumwa commended the Judiciary for raising the bar for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases.

“I wish to appreciate the accountability requirement for our courts to dispense swiftly and effectively cases of GBV. I commend our Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court, present with us today, for recently launching the first-ever special court for handling sexual violence cases at Shanzu Law Courts in Mombasa,” she said.

The Cabinet Secretary said the Judiciary’s commitment to raising the bar on judicial accountability for GBV cases will help preserve the dignity of survivors and enhance fair trial within the tenets of the Constitution.

She urged for cohesive teamwork noting that implementing the rules effectively requires the collective efforts of all stakeholders – government, development partners, civil society, community leaders, and every Kenyan citizen.

“We must all work together to create a society that rejects violence in all its forms and stands up for the rights and dignity of every individual,” she said.

The PADV rules establish clear guidelines for obtaining protection orders, ensuring that survivors have access to swift and effective legal remedies.
They emphasize the importance of prevention and early intervention and underscore the importance of public awareness and community engagement.

Statistics from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS 2022) indicate that over 40 per cent of women have experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence in their lifetime. Moreover, the survey demonstrates that 43 per cent of women and 35 per cent of men believe that a man is justified to beat his wife. Among the rural population, 51 per cent of women and 40 per cent of men agreed that wife beating is justified.

This morning, the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the 2021-2025 Cycle between the Government and the Kenya Union of Civil Servants was signed in Nairobi. 

Principal Secretary of the State Department for Public Service, Mr. Amos Gathecha who presided over the event acknowledged the importance of engaging with trade unions in negotiating Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) in the interests of public servants to promote harmonious labour relations and industrial actions in the public service. 

He noted that a fragmented approach to collective bargaining negotiations, coupled with the lack of a common negotiating body and a subsequent framework to spearhead the negotiations, had led to different public sector entities at both the national and county governments signing numerous varied collective bargaining agreements that are not adherent to any standard norms, and which are often devoid of strict conformity to the prevalent terms and conditions of service for public servants. 

The approach, he added, had caused many challenges, which include disparities, disharmony and inconsistencies in the remuneration and benefits structures in the public service, delays in concluding collective bargaining processes, continuous labour unrest among employees, and disruption of critical service delivery in the different sectors. 

“In order to address the matter, the State Department for Public Service together with the relevant government agencies, has finalised working on a framework to standardise and guide the process of collective bargaining negotiations in the public service,” he said during the meeting. “Some of the key areas include the terms and conditions of the CBA with the UKCS, comprehensive medical and group life insurance schemes for civil servants development of a payroll management policy to ensure a sustainable public service wage bill among others.”  

Secretary General of the UKCS, Mr. Tom Odege appreciated the committee for its efforts in ensuring that the negotiations addressed the welfare of the union members however, he noted that the bone of contention was the commuter allowance which the union was keen to have reviewed. “The current commuter allowance is the thorn in the flesh for our members as it is irrelevant,” he said. 

Having gone through the CBA, the Principal Secretary noted the committee had successfully concluded the process of negotiation in the area of Salaries, Allowances and Related Matters; Employer-Employee Relations; Leave Entitlements; Medical Benefits and Related Matters; and Cessation of Employment. 

The CBA is based on a budget allocation of Ksh. 1,135,408,744/- and is effective from 1^st July, 2023. The second phase will be based on a budget of Kshs. 1,126,486,162/- effective from 1^st July, 2024. For house allowance, the Salaries Review Commission has approved review of house allowance on a budget of Kshs. 115,071,472 in the first phase and Kshs. 223,694,412/- in the Second Phase. 

Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Aisha Jumwa, this afternoon joined fellow Ministers from the Commonwealth virtually, during the second day of the 13th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting (13WAMM) in the Bahamas.

During the meeting, the Cabinet Secretary officially handed over the chair position which Kenya has held since 2019 during the 12th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting (12WAMM) in Nairobi to the Government of The Bahamas and her counterpart, Hon. Obediah Wilchcombe, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development.

In her address, Hon. Jumwa noted that Kenya had made tremendous strides since the 12WAMM in implementing the four priority areas namely Women and Leadership; Ending Violence Against Women and Girls; Women’s Economic Empowerment; and Climate Change.

She highlighted the Government of Kenya’s 10 Commitments and the 9 Point Women Agenda which she noted were in alignment with the Commonwealth priorities.

“The Government of Kenya under the leadership of H.E. President Dr. William Ruto has also made 10 commitments and the 9 Point Women Agenda which is aligned to the Commonwealth priorities on gender. The commitments ascribe to a range of international, regional and national normative frameworks, that advance concrete measures for the realization of gender equality and empowerment of women and girls,” she said.

In her opening remarks, Commonwealth Secretary-General the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland highlighted the serious challenges being experienced across the world currently namely the long shadow of COVID-19; crippling debt, rising inflation and climate change and noted that the impact on women and girls is disproportionate.

Secretary-General Scotland stressed that accelerated action on gender equality is at the heart of the success of the Commonwealth in the face of the ongoing challenges and pledged her continued support to the ministers
noting that they were all more than equal to the challenges they face.

The Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting opened on 21st August 2023 in The Bahamas with a call for stronger action on gender equality priorities in the face of intensifying global environmental and economic challenges.

The meeting was opened by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland and the Prime Minister of The Bahamas, the Hon. Philip Davis and was attended by more than 80 ministers and senior officials from across the Commonwealth’s six regions.

Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Aisha Jumwa this morning presided over the signing of the 20th Cycle of Performance Contracts for the Financial Year 2023/2024 for the State Departments for Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action; and the Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs) under the Ministry.

In her address, the Cabinet Secretary said that the performance contracts will enable the Ministry to implement performance targets that are aligned with the Ministry’s mandate, the Kenya Kwanza Administration plan and the government’s national development agenda.

She highlighted Productivity Mainstreaming in the public sector as a key component in the 20th Cycle of Performance Contracts for the Financial Year 2023/2024.

“I note with appreciation that Productivity Mainstreaming in the Public Sector has been included as a target in the performance contracts for this Financial Year. This target will fastrack the promise to Kenyans to make available 80 per cent of government services online,” she said.

Hon. Jumwa committed her support to the leadership present and urged them to join hands and work in a synergised and harmonised fashion in order to meet the goals as stipulated in their performance contracts.

The signing of performance contracts today follows a signing of Ministerial Performance Contracts by H.E. President, Dr. William Ruto and the Cabinet on 1st August 2023.

Performance Contracting has been a key accountability tool used by the government to improve service delivery in the public service. The Performance Contract function falls under the State Department for Public Service.

Present at the event today were Principal Secretaries, Mr. Amos Gathecha, State Department for Public Service and Ms. Veronica Nduva, State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action as well as CEOs of various SAGAs.

The State Department of Public Service is ramping up mental health and advocacy campaign to enhance awareness about mental health challenges in public service and alleviate the menace.

Key in the campaign is the setting up of counselling and wellness units in the Huduma Centres across the country to purposely bring psychological services closer to the public servants.

The Principal Secretary in the State Department for Public Service, Amos Gachecha, while addressing a section of the media in his Harambee House office ahead of the launch of the Public Service Mental Health Champions Initiative, said the campaign will be augmented by the establishment of the Psychological Assessment Center for public servants.

“The Center (Psychological Assessment Center) will enrich, supplement, enhance and promote the effectiveness of the mental health services in the Public Service,” he said adding that psychological testing and assessment, which is a scientifically-driven process, will also be deployed in the entire service to help promote objectivity, enhance effectiveness, reliability and validity of decisions made in mental health matters.

Mental health has become an issue of concern lately, not only in Kenya but globally as well. The World Health Organisation reports that one-in-four people are likely to experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives while an estimated 300 million people are suffering from depression which is a major contributor to over 800,000 cases of suicide every year.

A recent survey conducted by United Nations Agency responsible for international public health, involving 130 countries reveals that while mental health problem and their attendant negative impact continues unabated, over 93 percent of countries worldwide are experiencing a disruption or a halt in the provision of critical mental health services. This has made it difficult for individuals in need of critical mental health services to access the same.

In Kenya, the trends mirror the global pattern. The Kenya Mental Health Investment Case-2021, estimates that close to half of Kenyan adults have experienced at least one mental health condition in their lifetime. These conditions are the source of untold human suffering, and public health burden, and are known to contribute to adverse social and economic outcomes including a heavy financial burden on the country’s health sector and loss of productivity among the workforce due to absenteeism, premature death, or disability.

Experts in the health sector aver that several social and environmental factors have triggered an upsurge of mental health cases in Kenya, key among them, poverty. Most Kenyans, they argue, are living below the poverty line and poverty has tended to increase the risk of mental illness and since it acts both as a causal factor and a consequence of mental illness. Other factors are unemployment, job insecurity, and the high cost of living. Exposure to disasters is also associated with a plethora of adverse mental health consequences including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, substance use disorder, and other psychological illnesses, they say.

The public service has not been spared of this epidemic as it has been hit hard by social economic factors leading to loss of productivity and low performance. Public servants are thus exposed to and suffer numerous mental health conditions and the consequences have been dire and detrimental at the place of work. This is evidenced by the counseling clinical records in the State Department of Public Service’s Psychological Counselling and Wellness Unit. The records show that public servants face mental health challenges just like other Kenyans.

Acknowledging the magnitude of the challenge, former President Uhuru Kenyatta directed the Ministry of Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Labour and Social protection to team up and develop a strategy that would provide policy direction on mental health matters. The State Department of Public Service was given the responsibility of executing the planned activities. So far, the state department has trained 410 mental health champions across the public service. These champions are playing a critical role in strengthening the counseling services and also in supporting the mental health awareness campaign.

The PS said the state department was also digitizing public service mental health services, to leverage modern technological innovation to reduce time and cost and therefore enhance efficiency in service delivery.

Other interventions that the state department has put in place to mitigate the prevailing mental health challenges are; developing, reviewing, and implementing public service guidance and counselling, substance abuse, HIV and AIDs workplace policies; provision of psychological counselling services and psycho-education to public servants in Ministries Departments Agencies and Counties; and provision of Psychological First Aid (PFA) to persons in crisis and involved in disasters.

Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Aisha Jumwa presided over the commemoration of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Ntimaru, Migori County on Monday, 6th February, 2023.

This year’s theme – partnering with men and boys to transform social and gender norms to end FGM – calls for action from men and boys to end FGM.

In her keynote address, Hon. Jumwa said that in consideration of the culture of FGM among practicing communities, there’s need to take deliberate steps to involve men and boys.

“Engaging men will create space to confront patriarchy – the root cause of gender inequality and negative masculinity. Targeting male children and youth is critical to build a future generation that will not subscribe to male dominance, but will promote partnership and mutual coexistence of men and women,” said Hon. Jumwa.

The Cabinet Secretary also appreciated the role of the elders of the Kuria in Migori, Pokot in West Pokot, Samburu in Samburu, Masai in Narok and Kajiado and the Sabaot in Bungoma for leading the way in the fight against FGM.

In Kenya, the recently released Demographic Health Survey indicates that FGM has reduced from 21% prevalence in 2014 to 15% in 2022 which the Cabinet Secretary noted is remarkable progress on the war against FGM in Kenya.

Present at the event were national and county officials.