10 marks of interview or Technical Knock Out? A tale of Kenyan government job clearance system and why it needs reform

10 marks of interview or Technical Knock Out? A tale of Kenyan government job clearance system and why it needs reform

All clearances expire in a year thus they need renewal-an extra burden to a jobless taxpayer/Musyoka Ngui

By MUSYOKA NGUI

It has become a norm for candidates of public service jobs to make multiple clearances before being shortlisted for interviews by the government. The exercise is informed by Chapter Six of Kenyan Constitution: Leadership and Integrity.

  One is expected to submit certificate of good conduct from the CID, clearance from a registered Credit Reference Bureau, Higher Education Loans Board, Kenya Revenue Authority and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

  In part, the above measures are meant to fight corruption which has pervaded the Kenyan public service system. For one to be able to clear satisfactorily they have to have hindsight by making the requisite documentation and at times going physically from department to department. This is not enough for the set 14 days’ notice after announcement of jobs.  It is essentially a technical knockout for them that may have been uncontaminated by graft but the government bureaucracy and lethargy makes them not to make it to the interview panel.

  HELB and KRA have made their clearance and acquisition of compliance certificates more efficient by availing the services online. One can go to Huduma Centres for assistance of filling tax returns or to the nearby cyber café.

  But in the rural areas where the internet connectivity is painfully slow the clearance comes with the additional headache of travelling to the nearest urban centers for chores that would be executed within a button’s click. 

  For one to clear with the EACC they have to get an advocate of the High Court to assist. But the learnt friend is at liberty to charge you as he or she wishes given the personal services are case by case determined as clients come.  It is high time the government caps the legal services to prevent unscrupulous lawyers from fleecing the wananchi.

  Collectively, the five clearance certificates contribute 10 marks for acing the interview and provide a significant bottleneck to cut out competition without necessarily guaranteeing the integrity of the candidates.

  The CRBs charge as much as Sh.2200 per financial statement clearance which is a lot for job seekers. HELB and CID charge Sh.1000 which is less than half the CRBs. The latter are fond of giving negative information to banks for clients with a view to increasing their revenues never mind the Central Bank of Kenya is supposed to tame them.

  Candidates should clear in advance before the jobs are announced to avoid last minute rush and unplanned costs of clearance.  They should also provide supporting documents such as national Identity Card photocopies, certificates and other testimonials which will enable the authorities to clear them. All clearances expire in a year thus they need renewal-an extra burden to a jobless taxpayer