Plan to extend Huduma Centre services to the diaspora
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has revealed that plans are underway to extend e-Citizen services to about 3.5 million Kenyans living in the diaspora.
The Foreign and Diaspora Affairs CS said the development is part of President William Ruto’s plan for a one-stop center for public services.
He said the government will develop a Huduma Centre-like approach, while not giving any budget for the same, to providing services to Kenyans in different capitals abroad.
“As we work with other departments, it is something we are trying to enhance especially around our consular services so that there is a one-stop centre for services Kenyans require. There are almost 3.5 million Kenyans around the world with the US having the biggest number,” said Mr Mudavadi.
The development follows concerns raised by senators over availability of government services to citizens in the diaspora.
Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot said Kenyans are able to access thousands of services online through e-Citizen but such are not available to the diaspora citizens.
The Senate majority leader asked the CS what plans the government had to ensure the services on-boarded on the digital platform are available to those in the diaspora or a help desk available to help them access the same.
“I want to believe that if his ministry alongside other State departments like that of Citizen services or immigration were to set up a help desk across our consular then citizens will be saved from the troubles of having to travel thousands of kilometres wasting money and time to access certain critical services,” said Mr Cheruiyot.
President Ruto in 2022 established the State Department for Diaspora Affairs to address issues that concern Kenya’s diaspora community.
In July 2022, President Ruto announced the digitisation of government services with the aim of “eliminating inefficiency, corruption, waste and discrimination inherent in human interactions”.
The digitisation, the President said, will also ensure that previously marginalised communities have easy access to government services.
The e-Citizen policy switch saw over 50,000 government services on-boarded into the digital system.
“When are they (diaspora community) going to make e-Citizen services easily accessible and attendant questions easily resolvable?” posed Mr Cheruiyot.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna also pressed the CS to explain the delay in the issuance of national identity cards to Kenyans residing in the US and what the government was doing to resolve the issue.
He wanted to know what the government is doing to automate the processing of IDs as has been done to passports so that those in the diaspora get the critical documents in time.
“Problem in the delays in processing the IDs is because it is a manual process where people have to travel all across the US to the Embassy for a manual process as if you are in a DC’s office in Kerugoya and then they are sent here,” said the ODM Secretary-General.
“There is no special office for processing diaspora applications for IDs. They are just lumped together with other applications from across the country and yet there is a department that was created on diaspora affairs,” he added.
However, Mr Mudavadi pointed to resource constraints following budget cuts in government for delaying the automation of the process.
Nonetheless, he said that consular services through the diaspora affairs did yield about 2,500 IDs in different cities.
“Automation and technology are things we are pursuing in liaison with immigration to improve the services but there are delays we hope to navigate going forward. Resource allocation challenge to make sure we are seamless in our operations is one of them,” he said.
At the same time, CS Mudavadi has said the government is betting on public-private partnerships to enhance healthcare services across the country.
The PCS pointed out that strategic partnerships with the private sector, in a PPP model, is key to driving sustainable growth in healthcare in Kenya.
Mr Mudavadi added that the government remains dedicated to promoting PPPs as a key strategy to drive growth in critical sectors such as healthcare.
Through these collaborations, he said, the government seeks to improve the accessibility and quality of healthcare services, aligning with its goal of achieving universal health coverage for all Kenyans.
The development follows a bilateral meeting between senior officials from GE HealthCare, a leading global medical technology and digital solutions innovator, and the Kenyan government.
Healthcare initiative
The meeting, at Mr Mudavadi’s Railways Headquarters office, was convened to discuss expanding the longstanding partnership between the two parties, which has been instrumental in driving transformative healthcare initiatives in the country.
The GE HealthCare delegation was led by Dr Haroun Mohammed, CEO for Africa, alongside MrAlexander Oketch, the acting General Manager for East Africa.
“GE HealthCare has long been a valued and trusted partner of the government of Kenya, playing a pivotal role in transformative initiatives, including the establishment of Kenya’s first public-sector comprehensive cancer center at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral, and Research Hospital, among other critical projects” said Mr Mudavadi.
The cancer facility, now one of the country’s premier oncology centers, is pivotal in improving access to cancer treatment for millions of Kenyans.
Mr Mudavadi said GE HealthCare’s expertise has been invaluable in building capacity and establishing world-class medical facilities, reiterating the government’s commitment to working closely with the firm to ensure that patients receive the highest standard of care.
The meeting between the Government of Kenya and GE HealthCare marks another milestone in a successful partnership that continues to deliver positive outcomes for Kenya’s healthcare system.
For his part, Dr Mohammed said GE HealthCare emphasised the importance of deepening this partnership to address the growing healthcare needs in Kenya with the aim of accelerating sustainable growth and enhancing healthcare services across Kenya.
He said they are ready to bring innovative solutions, advanced medical technologies, and capacity-building programs to help scale up healthcare delivery in both urban and rural areas.
“GE HealthCare has long been a trusted partner to the Government of Kenya, contributing to several critical healthcare projects, including the landmark establishment of the country’s first public-sector comprehensive cancer center,” he said.
Looking ahead, both parties remain focused on identifying new opportunities for cooperation that will enhance healthcare delivery and ensure a healthier future for all Kenyans.
comulo@ke.nationmedia.com
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