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