Nairobi: Residents of Makueni County will now have greater access to government services following the extension of operating hours at the Makueni Huduma Centre from 7 am to 7 pm, effective July 20, 2026. The service providers will now work in shifts from 7 am to 1 pm and from 1 pm to 7 pm from Monday to Friday. The announcement was made by the Makueni County Commissioner (CC) Khalif Abdullahi at Huduma Centre in Wote town, Makueni Subcounty, on Wednesday.
According to Kenya News Agency, Makueni is the 21st county to adopt the extended working hours, and the new operating hours demonstrate the government’s commitment to ensure Kenyans access public services at their convenience. Abdullahi highlighted that the move aims to improve access to essential government services for citizens who are unable to visit the center between the regular 8 am to 5 pm working hours.
The Commissioner emphasized that the programme will benefit farmers, horticultural producers, and small-scale traders who spend most of the day attending to their businesses and are often unable to seek government services during regular office hours. ‘The extension of service hours is intended to improve access to essential government services, particularly for citizens whose work schedules fall outside the normal working hours,’ said Abdullahi during the launch event.
During the launch, Abdullahi revealed that there are 29 different services currently offered at Huduma Centre. He added that services from Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), National Social Security Fund (NSSF), National Registration Bureau (NRB), Police Abstracts, Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), and Civil Registration Service will be available during the extended working hours. Furthermore, additional services will be accessible on the Universal Public Servant Model once staff are posted, including those from the Kenya School of Government (KSG), the Office of Data Protection (ODPC), the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), and the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).
Abdullahi also noted a significant increase in the provision of services at Huduma Centre. In the 2024/2025 financial year, 33,600 people accessed services, whereas in 2025/2026, over 190,600 sought services at the center. The county government of Makueni is collaborating with the national government to provide Huduma Mashinani, an initiative that has increased access to services by wananchi in their areas of jurisdiction. ‘The Makueni Huduma Centre currently serves between 600 and 700 customers daily, with the extended hours expected to significantly increase the number of people accessing government services,’ he stated.
In addition, Abdullahi stressed the importance of government departments, agencies, and state corporations providing public services digitally through the eCitizen platform to collect associated fees and ensure transparency and accountability. ‘The platform offers a single, secure, and transparent gateway for accessing government services while promoting transparency, revenue collection, and improved public financial management as part of Kenya’s broader digital transformation agenda,’ he explained.
The launch marks another step in the government’s efforts to bring public services closer to citizens while ensuring that no one is left behind due to work schedules or distance from government offices. He also mentioned the presence of 3,144 uncollected identification cards and urged residents to collect their cards if they had either applied for a new one or a replacement.
Chief Officer (CO) Trade Marketing and Tourism Dr. Jossylyn Mutua, who also addressed the event, encouraged residents to take advantage of the initiative to access services and crucial documents during the extended working hours. ‘The county government will continue to collaborate with Makueni Huduma Centre in the provision of services under the Huduma Mashinani programme, which is in its second phase,’ she stated.
Present at the function were the Huduma Centre Manager Nicolas Bernard, the county security team, departmental heads, wananchi, and officers working at the Huduma Centre, among others.
