Matiang’i apologises to Kenyans, keeps promise to clean up births registry
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on Monday apologised to Kenyans as he made his fourth visit to the Department of Civil Registration as he sought to push for changes and clean up at births registry.
The tough-talking CS had on Thursday and Friday toured the facility and ordered the staff at the department to work over the weekend and organise their desks for better service delivery and make sure that citizens get birth certificates in record time.
“First I want to apologise as a public servant that this has taken longer than it ought to have taken. I want to promise you sincerely that this will change for sure,” Matiang’i said.
Since his impromptu visit last week, the Civil Registration Bureau’s office at ACK Bishop House has undergone a complete makeover on all aspects.
The reception area also had seats for those waiting for service, unlike in the past when they stood in a hall.
It now has customer care desks manned by National Youth Service (NYS) personnel, enough seats for members of the public, clean restrooms, and dignified services at the counters.
As we promised, the Civil Registration Bureau's office at ACK Bishop House has undergone a complete makeover on all aspects. We now have customer care desks manned by NYS personnel, enough seats for members of the public, clean restrooms, and dignified services at the counters. pic.twitter.com/9JoYpVVrjF
— Dr. Fred Matiang'i (@FredMatiangi) October 28, 2019
While touring ACK Bishop House, the Matiang’i wondered why the staff were earning salaries yet service is not delivered to the citizens.
Dr Matiang’i first visited the offices on Thursday afternoon, before making follow-up visits on Friday and again on Monday.
The CS promised to camp at the centers to make sure that service is delivered. A videos shared on Twitter by Interior spokesperson Wangui Muchiri asked Kenyans to “give us 72 hours.”
As ordered last week, personnel from the NYS were deployed and new machines installed, while more workers attended to those applying for birth certificates.
Brokers who have been hanging around outside the offices at Bishops Gardens in Nairobi were missing, and all counters were manned, unlike in the past when most were not operational.
There have been complaints that the department is among those affecting the delivery of services. Officials at the Immigration department have been complaining of receiving fake birth certificates that are issued by brokers operating outside the offices.