Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has unveiled new measures aimed at tightening discipline and enhancing productivity within the civil service, including the introduction of a mandatory attendance register for all government employees.

Speaking during an inspection visit at the Central Regional Headquarters in Nyeri County on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, Ruku said the government is set to engage supervisors at every administrative level from sub-county to the national offices to spearhead the reform process.

"We’ll be reaching out to all supervisors, starting at the sub-county level up to the national stage, as we roll out an attendance register. This will ensure every civil servant has clearly outlined duties and aligns with the staff performance appraisal framework," the CS explained.

In addition, the Ministry of Public Service is preparing to launch a baseline survey aimed at gauging employee satisfaction across government ministries and departments.

The findings, Ruku said, will guide policy improvements tailored to boost workplace morale and efficiency.

"The survey will span regional, county, and sub-county offices to help us understand the working environment and satisfaction levels among public servants," he added.

During his Nyeri tour, Ruku noted a significant disparity in punctuality across departments.

While staff at the Teachers Service Commission and Huduma Centre recorded near-perfect reporting rates between 98 and 100 percent, other government offices had less than 50 percent of employees present by 8:00 a.m., the official reporting time stipulated in the 2016 Public Service Human Resource Policies and Procedures Manual.

The manual prescribes a 40-hour workweek for public officers, generally from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with a lunch break between 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Offices in Mombasa and some northern counties observe an earlier schedule, beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Ruku has since sounded a warning to habitual latecomers and absentee staff, stressing that those who fail to adhere to work schedules will be classified as ghost workers and dealt with accordingly.