PSC warns senior officials over sexual exploitation of interns in government offices

ERASTUS GICHOHI- KNA

The Public Service Commission has warned senior government officials against sexual harassment and abuse of interns deployed across ministries, departments, and agencies.

The Commission said it has received disturbing reports of rising cases of sexual exploitation and psychological abuse targeting interns, with some incidents reportedly ending in suicide.

PSC Chairman Francis Meja said officers found culpable will face disciplinary action, including dismissal from service and prosecution.

Meja, who was addressing tens of mentors under the internship programme during a week-long training, tasked the officers to report any incidents of abuse and take prompt action against those responsible.

Meja said the internship programme, which started in 2019, offers graduates a platform to acquire key work experience, noting that more than 37,000 interns had so far benefited. 

He added that the Commission has this year deployed 8,268 interns to ministries, departments and agencies, while 3,134 former interns have secured permanent employment in national and county governments.

The PSC Chair also raised concern over laxity at work by public officers, which had negatively affected government productivity, despite fewer than one million workers drawing more than Sh1 trillion in salaries and allowances annually.

“Studies by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission have noted that the private sector is three times more productive compared to the public service,” Meja said.

He tasked officers who would serve as mentors to interns under the Public Service Internship Programme (PSIP) to guide and expose the graduates to the requisite experience, and to instill integrity and professionalism in them.