No More Lifetime Jobs! RUTO’s Government to scrap permanent and pensionable jobs for Civil Servants

Friday, February 27, 2026 - Public Service Cabinet Secretary, Geoffrey Ruku, has unveiled plans to transition all civil servants from permanent and pensionable employment to contract-based terms.

Speaking on Thursday, February 26^th, during the launch of the Public Service Commission’s Strategic Plan 2025-2029, Ruku said the proposal forms part of a new Public Service Transformation Policy being developed by his ministry.

He disclosed that the plan will be presented to a Cabinet committee next week before submission to the full Cabinet in March for consideration.

“We are working on a public service transformation policy, which I will present to the cabinet committee next week, and later to the full cabinet in March,” Ruku stated.

He added: “It is high time as a Government and as a ministry we see whether we can have employees or public servants on a contractual basis.”

If approved, the framework will introduce three- or five-year renewable contracts tied to performance targets.

Officers who meet their obligations will have their terms renewed, while those who fail to deliver will be required to exit the service.

“You are given a contract for three or five years. If you perform properly, you are given another contract.”

“If you don’t meet the contractual basis, you go and look for another job,” Ruku explained.

The CS argued that the reforms are intended to curb impunity and entitlement in the public sector, noting that permanent employment has fostered complacency.

He cited absenteeism as a major concern, observing that interns consistently report to work on time while many of their supervisors arrive late.

Ruku maintained that shifting to performance-based contracts will instill discipline and enhance service delivery across Government institutions.

The Kenyan DAILY POST