Kenyans urged to put national values into practice

The Public Service Commission has called for stronger accountability, ethical leadership and citizen participation in government, saying national values must be reflected in the conduct of public officers and the services they provide to Kenyans.

Speaking during the World Values Day 2026 commemoration at Kenya Railways Headquarters in Nairobi on Thursday, October 15, Acting Deputy Commission Secretary at the Public Service Commission Gabriel Juma said transforming public service required more than administrative reforms and new policies.

“National values are therefore not merely constitutional declarations. They are a call to action,” Juma said, urging public institutions to make constitutional principles part of their everyday operations.

The event, coordinated by the State Department for National Government Coordination through the Directorate of National Cohesion and Values, was held under the Kenyan theme National Values and Active Citizenship. The global theme was Values and Volunteering.

Juma noted that Article 10 of the Constitution binds state organs, state officers, public officers and all persons when applying or interpreting the Constitution, enacting or interpreting laws, and making or implementing public policy decisions.

He said Kenya’s 17 national values and principles of governance, organised into four clusters, should guide decision-making and the treatment of citizens by public institutions.

“Transformation must go beyond restructuring, automation, new policies and administrative procedures,” Juma said, adding that it must also address institutional culture, leadership and the conduct of public officers.

He identified integrity, accountability, transparency, inclusiveness, equity, equality, non-discrimination, human dignity, public participation, patriotism and national unity as values that should guide public service delivery.

Juma called on public officers to use public resources responsibly, avoid conflicts of interest, follow the rule of law and ensure that services and opportunities are distributed fairly, including to persons with disabilities and marginalised groups.

He said the public should experience the impact of national values through timely service delivery, fair administrative decisions, accessible services, responsible use of public funds, respectful treatment and effective handling of complaints.

“The ultimate test is not what institutions say about their values, but what citizens experience in their daily interactions with public institutions,” Juma said.

He warned that leadership conduct directly influenced institutional culture, noting that tolerating misconduct, applying rules selectively and failing to enforce accountability could weaken public trust.

“Leaders set the tone for the organizations they manage through their decisions, their conduct, priorities, and responses to wrongdoing,” he said.

Juma urged institutions to integrate national values into recruitment, selection, induction, continuous professional development, performance management, promotion, recognition and disciplinary processes.

He also called for clear codes of conduct and mechanisms that allow public officers to report wrongdoing without fear of retaliation.

The commission’s role in promoting constitutional values, he noted, should be supported by accounting officers, institutional heads, supervisors and individual public officers.

Juma further urged institutions to assess whether their commitments were translating into improved conduct and service delivery, identify shortcomings and take corrective action.

He said national values should also guide the relationship between government and citizens, with the public encouraged to participate in public affairs, protect public property, comply with the law and hold institutions accountable through lawful channels.

The theme of active citizenship, he added, placed responsibility on the wider public, including young people, to reject corruption, discrimination, violence and hate while promoting unity, innovation and positive social change.

“Above all, let us move from awareness to practice, from declarations to demonstrable action and from individual commitment to a shared national culture of integrity and responsibility,” Juma said.

He urged leaders to demonstrate the values they expect others to follow and called for public service grounded in professionalism, fairness, impartiality and the public interest.

“Let us make national values a lived reality, not only on this day, but every day and in every institution and community,” he said.

Meanwhile, Secretary for National Cohesion and Values Josiah Musili said the commemoration provided an opportunity for Kenyans to reflect on the implementation of Article 10 and renew their commitment to practising national values.

Musili noted that the State Department, through the Directorate of National Cohesion and Values, was holding the commemoration for the second time, following the inaugural event in November 2025.

He explained that the Kenyan theme, National Values and Active Citizenship, complemented the global focus on Values and Volunteering by encouraging citizens not only to demand services that uphold constitutional values but also to practise those values in their own lives.

Musili said the directorate had been working with public and private sector stakeholders to strengthen the promotion of national values and principles of governance.

As part of those efforts, a parents’ manual on nurturing values among children and young people was developed and launched during the 2025 commemoration. The directorate had also supported research into the role of narratives in managing conflict.

Musili said a baseline survey conducted in 2016 examined public awareness of national values and principles of governance. The directorate hoped to undertake another survey in 2027 to measure changes in awareness and compliance.

He explained that the proposed survey would help establish progress made and identify areas requiring further work in promoting constitutional values.

Musili urged Kenyans to assess the progress and challenges in implementing Article 10 and consider how they could contribute to making national values part of everyday life.

The commemoration called on both public institutions and citizens to translate constitutional commitments into action through accountable leadership, responsible citizenship and a shared commitment to the common good.

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