PSC Launches Nationwide Survey to Gauge Civil Service Well-Being

Nairobi, Kenya — 2025-09-09 08:15 EAT. The Public Service Commission (PSC) has launched an online employee satisfaction and workplace environment survey running from September 8 to 20, 2025. PSC Chief Executive Officer Anthony Muchiri said the exercise, grounded in Section 62 of the PSC Act, 2017, will establish a baseline civil service morale index to inform policy reforms. 

The Latest

• What happened now: PSC initiated a public-sector-wide survey targeting all government employees under its jurisdiction—from ministries to state corporations, constitutional commissions, public universities, and TVET institutions. 

• Why it matters: This marks the first structured baseline of civil service morale, culture, and well-being, underpinning future reforms to improve governance and service delivery. 

• Status: Survey live from September 8 to 20, 2025. 

Context in Brief

• Under Section 62 of the PSC Act, 2017, PSC is mandated to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the public service. 

• The survey includes staff across six defined categories:

  • Constitutional Commissions and Independent Offices

  • Ministries and State Departments

  • Statutory Commissions and Authorities

  • State Corporations and Semi-Autonomous Agencies (SAGAs)

  • Public Universities

  • Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions

Law, Policy, and Process

• Constitutional/Act reference: Enacted under PSC Act, 2017, Section 62 empowers the commission to monitor civil service efficiency.

• Mandates: PSC will collect data and shape a satisfaction index.

• Next steps: HR heads must circulate the survey link; data will inform organizational culture reforms and public sector performance improvements. 

Voices and Stakeholders

• PSC CEO Anthony Muchiri: Called for participation, noting the survey will guide reforms to improve service delivery, workplace environment, and governance.

• Authorized officers/HR heads: Tasked with promoting and ensuring survey accessibility within their institutions. 

Evidence & Data Box

Risks and Implications

• Low participation: Could skew representation and weaken reform impact.

• Monitoring challenges: Coordinating across decentralized agencies may affect uptake.

• Governance leverage: Positive results may justify further institutional investments and human resource policy shifts.

What We Don’t Know Yet

• The response rate across different sectors.

• When the PSC will publish findings or roll out resulting policy actions.

• Whether the survey will inform annual performance evaluations or institutional benchmarking.

Timeline

• 2025-09-08: Survey launched online. 

• 2025-09-20: Survey closes.

• Post-survey: PSC to analyse data and propose policy adjustments.

What to Watch

• Institutional communication on survey participation rates.

• PSC’s publication of a workplace climate index and reform action plan.

• Performance indicators—like reductions in grievances or improvements in service delivery—linked to the survey findings.

Editor’s note: Public servants are encouraged to take the <30-minute survey via the PSC portal—their input is confidential and instrumental to shaping a legacy of effective public service.

Corrections: None reported.