Kenyans urged to collect 281,000 unclaimed documents from Huduma Centres

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has raised concerns over the large number of essential documents left uncollected at Huduma Centres across the country.

Muturi on Monday revealed that 180,000 national identity cards, 47,000 driving licenses, and 54,000 birth certificates are waiting for collection.

"We urge Kenyans to visit their Huduma Centres and collect the documents they applied for," he said during his visit to the Huduma Kenya Secretariat offices in Nairobi.

The CS highlighted the need for Kenyans to take responsibility and collect their vital documents to avoid unnecessary inconveniences.

"These documents are critical for accessing various services, and it is important that they are picked up promptly," Muturi added.

Expansion of Huduma Centres

To improve service delivery, the CS announced that plans are underway to establish 290 sub-county Huduma Centres nationwide.

So far, six new centres have been set up in counties such as Tharaka Nithi, Kajiado, Kiambu, and Laikipia.

"Our goal is to ensure that government services are accessible to all Kenyans, regardless of where they live. The expansion of Huduma Centres to the sub-county level will bring services closer to the people," Muturi explained.

The CS further urged ministries, departments, agencies, and county governments to make use of the Huduma Kenya platform to provide services more efficiently.

"To embody the One-Stop-Shop concept, I urge all ministries, departments, agencies, and counties to deploy services across the Huduma Centres to ensure equitable and seamless service delivery to citizens," Muturi said.

Despite the expansion, the CS acknowledged that some government services are still unavailable in many Huduma Centres.

He noted that Kenyans are forced to travel long distances to access these services, citing the example of National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) services.

"Out of the 57 Huduma Centres in operation, NTSA services are only available in 15. As a result, some citizens have to travel more than 200 kilometres to renew their driver's licenses or apply for new ones," Muturi said.

To bridge this gap, the CS introduced the Huduma Kenya Universal Agent, a new initiative aimed at ensuring a wider range of services are offered at Huduma Centres.

"I call upon those ministries, departments, agencies, and counties without staff at Huduma Centres to take advantage of the Huduma Kenya Universal Agent. These agents will be trained to offer various government services on their behalf," Muturi explained.

In addition, CS Muturi also highlighted the ongoing Customer Service Week, where Kenyans join the rest of the world in celebrating exceptional customer service under the theme "Above and Beyond."

"As public servants, we must go beyond our call of duty to ensure that every interaction with citizens is marked with compassion, courtesy, respect, and efficiency," the CS stated.

He stressed that Huduma Kenya staff are the custodians of a culture of excellence, driving the "above and beyond" service delivery that citizens deserve.