Huduma Centres are one of the government’s projects that have had a huge impact on service delivery to Kenyans.
Launched in November 2013, the one-stop shop offers multiple public services under one roof. Today, there are 57 Huduma Centres across 47 counties.
However, within the Huduma Centre project, there is another service – Huduma Mashinani. This is a citizen-centred mobile outreach programme that brings services even closer to the people at a grassroots level.
The initiative has been a success but do you know the brains behind it? Well, his name is Reuben Ogeda.
Inspiration behind Huduma Mashinani initiative
So, what was the inspiration behind this ground-breaking initiative? Ogeda explained that it is from his experience of seeing Kenyans, especially those in rural and marginalized areas, struggle to access government services.
Even after the launch of Huduma Centres, many Kenyans still had a challenge accessing them, as they were urban-centred, and this inspired Ogeda to come up with Huduma Mashiani.
“When I joined Huduma in June 2015, Wajir Huduma Centre was the only Huduma Centre in the entire North Eastern Region. It pained me to see how citizens would travel from Bute and Buna in Wajir North and Habaswein and Diif in Wajir South. Some even travelled from Mandera to seek services at the centre. It bothered me that so many were left behind by a system that seemed to prioritize urban centres,” he explained.
“It was this challenge that I purposed to have a solution and I decided that the only solution was to mobilize my staff the way we used to mobilize vetting committees so that we can take services to the people. I wanted to create something that brought services closer to the people, making life easier and more efficient for everyone,” he added.
Where was Huduma Mashinani pioneered?
Ogenda first pioneered the idea within the North Eastern region during Huduma Week after pitching it to the area governor and the county commissioner. It was a success to the extent that a year later, the governor had to tell the President about it.
“In fact, the then Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Hon Cecile Kariuki advised Mr. Dennis Mutuku then CEO of Huduma Kenya to ensure all Huduma Centres adopt the Wajir model. The pronouncement marked the beginning of the mass roll-out of Huduma Mashinani Initiative across huduma centres country-wide,” the former District Officer recalled.
Fast forward about ten years later and Huduma Mashinani is now all over the country. The initiative has won multiple awards and made it easier for Kenyans to access government services which are now closer to them.
“By bringing services closer to the people, it has eliminated the need for long and costly journeys to urban centres, thereby promoting inclusivity in public service delivery,” Ogeda explained.
Huduma Mashinani awards
Some of the notable achievements and awards of the Huduma Mashinani initiative include:
- Community Service Award (2016): Recognized at the Customer Service Week Awards in Kenya for outstanding service delivery.
- Innovative Management of Public Service Award (2017): Secured 2nd Runner-Up at the 36th AAPAM Roundtable Conference in Morocco.
- Global Recognition: The initiative has been featured in international forums and conferences on e-government and digital service delivery, where it is often cited as an exemplary model for improving public service accessibility through technology and outreach.
- Benchmarking by other countries i.e Tanzania, Uganda
Ogeda was also recently honoured with an innovation award by the Huduma Kenya Chief Executive Officer CPA Ben Kai Chilumo. The award was presented to him during the 2nd Centre Managers Annual Conference presided over by the Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi.
Since its inception, Huduma Mashinani has successfully served millions of citizens across the Country.
By deploying mobile service units and organizing outreach programs, the initiative has bridged the gap between government services and the people who need them most.
