8 Govt Agencies Shamed For Not Paying Interns

jobseekers queuing on Wabera Street, Nairobi, waiting to be interviewed by The Sarova Stanley on May 26, 2018
Jobseekers queuing on Wabera Street, Nairobi, waiting to be interviewed by The Sarova Stanley on May 26, 2018
Daily Nation

Eight government agencies have been included in the list of shame by the Public Service Commission (PSC) over their failure to pay interns posted to them through the Public Service Internship Programme (PSIP).

The agencies, including four universities, , a financial institution and regional state institutions, were accused of reaping the benefits of the programme without paying for it.

Among the institutions of higher learning flagged by PSC include the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Egerton, Kirinyaga and Machakos Universities.

Kenyan Ambassador to Cuba Anthony Mwaniki who has been nominated for PSC Chairperson job
Kenyan Ambassador to Cuba Anthony Mwaniki who has been nominated for PSC Chairperson job.
TheBrief.co.ke

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and the University Funds were also shamed for not paying their interns.



Regional agencies called out include the Lake Victoria North Water Works Development Agency and the Coast Water Works.

PSC noted that 3,267 graduates were selected for a 12-month internship training program in the latest cohort. However, 61.3 per cent of the recruits received a stipend below the required Ksh25,000.

In February 2022, PSC chairperson, Anthony Muchiri, told Parliament that 9,760 interns had been recruited, inducted and deployed to State Departments and Agencies since the program was launched in 2019.

Muchiri told Parliament that the current funding only allowed for the recruitment of 3,200 interns against the demand of 10,000.

"The current demand from the Public Service Commission is 10,161 interns from 210 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) against a budget-constrained supply of 3,200. There is a need to recruit an additional 3,000 interns to bridge the shortfall," the PSC Chair stated.

While the programme takes in thousands of interns in each cohort, the number of those who are absorbed into the agencies remain low. The numbers are set to improve with the PSC absorbing 22 of the 33 interns it received.

In 2021, the 2,421 interns were deployed to various ministries, departments, and agencies, a 54.6 per cent drop from the previous year's 3,150 recruits.

Public Service Commission offices (Undated)
Public Service Commission offices (Undated)
Capital Group