Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has directed all public servants to report to work on Monday, July 7, despite the planned Saba Saba Day protests expected to affect parts of the country.
Speaking in Embu County during a church service attended by President William Ruto, Ruku warned that the government would take stern action against any civil servant who fails to report for duty on Monday.
''Tomorrow, Monday, is not a public holiday. All civil servants across the Republic of Kenya are expected to be in their offices regardless. This affects all the regional and subcounty offices as well as government offices in Kenya,'' Ruku warned.
''We are expected to report to work as per the Human Resources Policies and Procedure Manual,'' he added.
Ruku further reiterated that all government offices will open at exactly 8am and close at 5pm without exception. He emphasized that normal working hours will be strictly observed, and no excuses related to the protests will be entertained.
Additionally, the CS maintained that the lunch break would be observed at exactly 12:30pm and warned that no other unsanctioned breaks would be entertained throughout the day.
According to Ruku, any civil servants who fail to heed the directive will be issued with show-cause letters.
The CS announced that he will continue his impromptu visits to various government officers to ensure compliance with the directive.
''Those saying that tomorrow is a public holiday, we are expected to be in our offices exactly at the required times. I will be doing spot checks, and should I find that there are no people, then expect showcause letters,'' he maintained.
Meanwhile, tensions are rising as Kenyans prepare to pour onto the streets of major towns to mark the Saba Saba Day, which began in 1990 as a protest movement to demand multiparty democracy against Daniel Arap Moi’s autocratic regime through the Kenya African National Union(KANU).
By Sunday midday, several learning institutions had urged their learners to stay at home on Monday, over concerns of the mooted Saba Saba protests.
Kenyans.co.ke established that at least 20 schools have sent a communique to parents, urging them to allow their children to stay at home as a precautionary measure.
Additionally, major businesses and private sector employers had sent notices to their staff to prepare to work from home to avoid finding themselves in potential skirmishes.
