Celtel donates phones to Provincial Commissioners

Under the new programme, 100 district commissioners and eight provincial commissioners are expected to use mobile phones to receive feedback on service delivery within their areas of jurisdiction and respond to them accordingly.

Speaking to HANA the Public Service minister Moses Akaranga noted that it would now be possible for its key officials to be accessible to the public via the cellular phones.

"The ministry will publish PC's and DC's phone numbers in the media to enable the public direct access to the officials," he said.

Rural Kenya has been prone to crime and insecurities ranging from cattle raids, land clashes, burning of homes among others. More often the police are not reachable thus causing an escalation of such vices. With the availability of mobile phones, Provincial and District Commissioners will mend this gap by communicating faster to curb such crime.

In the event the public is not content with the way services are delivered, they can use the numbers to report cases of dissatisfaction with the quality of public services for immediate action. Celtel officials will then monitor and record the details of communications between the public and the officials.

Kenyans have for a long time decried poor services in the Public Service Commission, which is mostly attributed to the lack of effective channels of communication. With the new program Kenyans will now hold officials accountable and get response immediately.

Celtel Kenya Managing Director David Murray said that the mobile company has stepped up efforts to ensure Kenyans get the right quality of services through the use of effective communication.

"The donation of mobile phones is a timely move, coming at a time when Celtel Kenya is accelerating its humanitarian services to Kenyans. It will be our joy to see that Provincial and District Commissioners use the phones effectively and consequently improve service delivery." He also noted that the entire process has caused the giant firm Sh 2 million including the airtime to be offered to the administrators.

The move comes ahead of the Public Service week, which commences on August 13 to 17. The five-day event will put officials to task, as they will be required to showcase the services they offer to the public.

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