Mombasa:The government is set to expand the Public Service Internship Programme (PSIP) dramatically from its current capacity of 8,000 interns to 50,000 by January 2027. Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairperson Francis Meja has called on Chief Executive Officers of State Corporations and Vice-Chancellors of public universities to declare available vacancies and meaningfully engage interns.
According to Kenya News Agency, Meja emphasized the importance of preparing young professionals for the job market and cautioned against reducing interns to mere office messengers, as has happened in previous intakes. He highlighted the need for state corporations to mentor interns adequately to avoid such practices.
Meja announced that the Commission would officially communicate with all state agencies and ministries, requesting reports on vacancies and staffing needs to accommodate the increased number of interns next year. He was speaking in Mombasa during the opening of a two-day capacity-building forum focused on human resource matters at the Kenya School of Government, Mombasa Campus.
The forum aims to address challenges in handling human resource matters across state agencies, particularly relating to disciplinary appeals that sometimes lead to costly litigation. Meja pointed out that non-compliance with constitutional, legal, and human resource policies has been a significant issue, leading to financial penalties and personal liabilities for officers.
The PSC Chairperson also underscored the importance of the Mwongozo Code for State Corporations, which promotes ethical leadership and good governance. The capacity-building sessions are designed to be practical and interactive, focusing on enhancing institutional capacity, ethical culture, and performance management within state agencies.
