Kenya Showcases Public Sector Reform Blueprint at Africa Public Service Day in Addis Ababa

Nairobi, Kenya – Kenya has stepped into the continental spotlight, positioning its ambitious public service reforms as a model for inclusive, efficient, and citizen-focused governance during the 10th Africa Public Service Day forum held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Delivering a keynote presentation, Kenyan officials highlighted how the country’s transformative efforts are grounded in the progressive framework of the 2010 Constitution, which reimagined the state’s relationship with its citizens by embedding principles of accountability, equity, and service delivery.

At the center of Kenya’s presentation were several flagship initiatives that have redefined how government interacts with its people:

• Huduma Kenya was lauded as a regional success story, offering citizens “one-stop-shop” access to over 50 essential government services through physical and mobile centers across the country.

• The Huduma Mashinani outreach program was spotlighted for extending government services into remote and underserved communities, bridging geographic and socioeconomic gaps.

• Kenya’s devolution architecture, which established 47 county governments, was hailed as a critical step in democratizing governance and empowering local communities with resources and decision-making authority.

“Our reforms are anchored on the conviction that public service must be agile, people-driven, and future-ready,” a senior Kenyan official stated during the forum. “We are building not just systems, but a culture of service.”

Looking ahead, Kenya is ramping up its commitment to digital transformation within the civil service. Key among these future-focused efforts is a plan to provide advanced artificial intelligence (AI) training for civil servants through the Kenya School of Government, preparing the workforce to meet 21st-century demands.

Kenya’s reform agenda received praise from fellow African states and governance experts, with many expressing interest in adapting elements of the Huduma model and digital training roadmap in their own national contexts.

The showcase signals Kenya’s growing influence in shaping the future of African public administration, emphasizing that citizen trust and efficient service delivery must be the foundation of public sector transformation.