Public Service Commission (PSC) Vice Chairperson, Charity Kisotu, has sent a message of condolence to the family, friends and relatives of the Public Service Commission Chairman, the late Stephen Kinyanjui Kirogo, following his sudden death Friday at the Nairobi Hospital.
In her condolences and on behalf of the PSC fraternity, Kisotu described the late Kirogo as a loving husband, father and a role model. Ms Kisotu said she learnt of the Chairman’s death which occurred on Friday May 14, 2021 with profound shock and sadness.
She eulogised the late Mr Kirogo as a charismatic, diligent, and visionary leader whose long years of service in the public service touched and positively impacted many lives at community level, nationally, regionally and beyond.
“Mr Kirogo will be remembered for successfully instituting far reaching reforms that were transforming the entire public service through his ‘Reform, Perform, Transform Kenya’ mantra and Citizen-Centric focus,” said the Vice Chairperson.
Ms Kisotu added that his transformation agenda and strong networking and lobbying skills saw the Commission roll out 12 months paid internship programme for young university graduates to gain the hands-on skills demanded by the job market, thereby enhancing their employability chances.
In a press statement sent to newsrooms, the Vice Chairperson said through the reforms the Commission in collaboration with the National Treasury, managed to clear a backlog of thousands of unpaid claims to pensioners at the Pensions Department and embarked on a process towards a seamless transition from salary to pension.
“The seamless transition will remain edged in the minds of former public servants who had suffered years of endless waiting to access their hard-earned pension dues,” she added.
Ms Kisotu said the demise of Mr Kirogo, is not only a loss to his immediate family but to all the people he interacted with in his various capacities as a civil servant, Chairperson of the Public Service Commission, Fellow of the Public Relations Society of Kenya, Vice President of the Association of African Public Services Commission (East African region), community member and a philanthropist.
The Vice Chairperson said the memories of his visionary leadership, humour, unassuming demeanor, humility, and empathy for public servants and citizens will forever be treasured in the Commission and beyond.
“Indeed, losing an icon of the stature of Mr Kirogo is not only overwhelming but also incomprehensible, especially to his family and those of us he worked with in the Commission and the government in general.
Ms Kisotu prayed to God to comfort and give the family strength during this difficult time of grief and to rest the soul of the late Kirogo in eternal peace.
By Bernadette Khaduli