CIG, Kenya's Public Service Commission, EPL and ELF Launch Kenya Public Service Fellowship Programme

Joint Press Release between Emerging Public Leaders, Emerging Leaders Foundation and the Chandler Institute of Governance

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NAIROBI (KENYA), 23 NOVEMBER 2021 — As part of the government’s ongoing work to build an effective civil service, the Public Service Commission (PSC) announced the launch of the Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship of Kenya alongside two non-profit partners, Emerging Public Leaders and Emerging Leaders Foundation – Africa today. The Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship programme is an intergenerational effort to re-engage Kenya’s youth in public service and administration, by driving the recruitment of young, ethical talent into public service, to improve government delivery, citizen outcomes and influence long-term social policy and change.

Kenya’s Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship programme will support the development of 50 future government leaders annually, in the areas of public sector specific leadership development, ethics cultivation and citizen-centered government delivery. The fellowship will also include year-round responsive training, hands-on mentorship, community service engagement and provide continuous career development support, including networking opportunities among pan-African alumni.

The fellowship was officially launched this morning at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre and was attended by Prof. Margaret Kobia, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizens Affairs and Special Programmes; Charity Kisotu, Vice-Chairperson of the PSC, Dr. Mary Mwiandi, Commissioner; Dr. Simon K. Rotich, Commission Secretary and CEO of the PSC; Dr. Sylvester Obong’o Director, Performance Management and Service Delivery Transformation at the PSC; Yawa Hansen-Quao, Global Executive Director of Emerging Public Leaders; Caren Wakoli, Founder and Executive Director of Emerging Leaders Foundation - Africa;  the Hon. Peter Mwathi, MP and Chairman, Departmental Committee on Administration and National Security; and Charles T. Sunkuli, Principal Secretary, State Department for Youth, Ministry of Information, Communication, Technology, Innovation and Youth Affairs.

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“Public servants can never be appreciated enough. Theirs is a selfless commitment to not only to do the day job but mostly to deliver irreplaceable services to the people. Over the years we have seen, interacted with and experienced the wave of transformation that now characterises the public service in Kenya. These efforts are commendable as access to, and affordability of critical services have simplified the lives of millions of Kenyans. The experiences of the dedicated public servants behind this growth and the accompanying institutional memory have to be passed on to emerging leaders within the public service. If there is a way to guarantee the efficiency and impact of this, that way is the Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship. Entrusting the future of the public service to the current and future generations is a near bullet-proof initiative that will not only ensure continuity, but also attract more young women and men to step up and serve their country both at the national and county levels.”

Ms. Caren Wakoli

Executive Director of Emerging Leaders Foundation

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Anchored in a competitive recruitment process, the fellowship will train and develop Kenya’s most promising young civil servants for future leadership, support them with mentors, connect them to a pan-African peer network and provide them with ongoing support to grow their public service careers.

This fellowship builds on the achievements of Emerging Public Leaders in Ghana and its sister organization, the President’s Young Professional Program, founded by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia. The Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship programme of Kenya represents the first implementation of this model in East Africa and realizes the goal of building a truly pan-African network of civil service professionals who can support each other through long, productive careers in government. The model provides a new pathway for developing public service leaders focused on the youthful talent across the public service. In future, this model may also provide a pathway for talented young professionals from sectors outside government to join sections of the public service. The ultimate aim of the fellowship is to improve government performance and governance as well as restore prestige to the civil service across Africa.

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“After more than a decade of working with African governments, we have seen first-hand that investing in and supporting the next generation of public service leaders is transformative. When public service institutions are strong and responsive, it recasts the image of the government and the country. Through the Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship, we are proud to help catalyze a new generation of public service leaders who will drive efficiency and performance, help to advance innovation and ensure long-term development and growth in Kenya.”

Ms. Yawa Hansen-Quao

Global Executive Director of Emerging Public Leaders

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The Public Service Fellows will experience a specially designed curriculum, which incorporates learning, good practices, and knowledge from Kenya and around the world.  Designed in collaboration with the Chandler Institute of Governance, an international non-profit organisation based in Singapore, the curriculum will be defined by its strong practitioner orientation.

Deputy Executive Director of the Chandler Institute of Governance, Mr. Kenneth Sim, affirmed the importance of the Fellowship, adding that

CIG and our partners have worked hard to design the curriculum for the Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship Programme of Kenya. The concepts of good governance and effective public policy must be rooted in each country’s priorities and context, but there are valuable insights that can be shared across national boundaries. Through this collaboration, we hope to bring an international perspective and our brand of practitioner-focused learning to the Fellowship.

Mr. Kenneth Sim

Deputy Executive Director, Chandler Institute of Governance

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For appointment as a Public Service Fellow, individual applicants must have served as employees of the Public Service Commission in any Ministry, State Department or Agency, for a period of between six months and one year. In addition, the applicant must be 35 years old or younger, a graduate of a recognized university, having graduated in 2015 or later, and demonstrate proficiency in key software programmes.

Interested and eligible civil servants can apply for the Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship programme through the Public Service Commission’s jobs portal. Applications close on 10 January 2022.

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The inaugural run of the Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship Programme 2022 has since concluded. More information about the respective segments of the programme can be found below.

Segment 1: CIG Supports Kenyan Government to Design and Deliver Newly Inaugurated Fellowship Programme

Segment 2: CIG Trains Kenyan Public Sector Leaders on Citizen-Centricity

Segment 3: CIG Delivers Training on Effective Policy Design and Implementation in Kenya

Segment 4: CIG Trains Kenya's Young Public Service Leaders in Ethical Leadership

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About the Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG)

The Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG) is an international non-profit organisation, headquartered in Singapore. Founded upon the belief that good governments are the foundation of flourishing, prosperous communities and nations, CIG supports governments in building leadership, institutions, and public service capabilities through training programmes, projects and partnerships, and knowledge creation.

For more news and information, visit https://www.chandlerinstitute.org or follow CIG on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn @ChandlerINST

About Emerging Leaders Foundation

The Emerging Leaders Foundation Africa (ELF-Africa) exists to empower, support and accompany young women and men to achieve meaningful, dignified and impactful participation in governance, economy and public affairs at all levels of society. Anchored on our foundational values-based approach to leadership as service. ELF’s vision is pursued through three program pillars namely the Governance & Civic Engagement, Economic Empowerment, Livelihoods & Opportunity, and our signature Leadership Development Program.

About Emerging Public Leaders

Emerging Public Leaders is a public service leadership organization that is preparing the next generation of competent and effective public sector leaders in Africa. Through it’s Public Service Fellowship, EPL invests in the careers of young, aspiring civil servants by providing them with training, mentorship, and professional development support to empower them to become leaders capable of driving long-term, institutional change in government.

For more news and information, visit https://www.emergingpublicleaders.org/ or follow Emerging public leaders on Facebook and Twitter @EPLeader

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‍For media clarifications, please contact:

Dominic GABRIEL (Mr)
Communications Manager
Chandler Institute of Governance
Email: Dominic.Gabriel@Chandlerinstitute.org

Shanice KOH (Ms)
Executive, Government Projects and Programmes
Chandler Institute of Governance
Email: Shanice.Koh@Chandlerinstitute.org

Sakwa James (Mr)
Assistant Communication Officer
Emerging Leaders Foundation
Email: jsakwa@elfafrica.org

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