President William Ruto is pushing for sweeping changes in how Kenya’s public service and national government are run — changes that critics say will weaken independent institutions, sideline Parliament and governors, and concentrate more power in State House.

At the centre of the storm are the National Government Co-ordination Bill, 2023 and the Public Service Human Resource Management Bill, 2024 — draft laws that would, for the first time, place the Public Service Commission (PSC) under the orbit of the President’s office, through the Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei.

The Bill, which has drawn opposition from the Public Service Commission, would give Koskei, Head of Public Service and Chief of Staff, sweeping powers over the hiring of civil servants, teachers, county staff, parliamentary and judicial employees, as well as those in parastatals.