Covid-19 has cut a devastating swath through government offices in Nairobi, forcing many of them into lockdown and curtailing services.
The Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs headquarters has been completely shut down for 10 days after one employee died of Covid-19 complications.
Scores in the same ministry are self-isolating after testing positive.
The Civil Service is one of the hardest-hit institutions in the country.
The Public Service Commission says 35 per cent of national government employees are aged between 51 and 60 years. Few younger people have been recruited and ‘young people’ account for only 17.4 per cent.
Telecommunications Principal Secretary Esther Koimett said the staff will resume work on July 27, only if the situation improves.
She said one staff member at the Teleposta Towers headquarters died of the virus while subsequent tests revealed other staff are infected.
“In this regard, all staff/interns will be required to work from home. During this time, access to the office will be restricted, except where there is clearance by the respective Principal Secretary,” Koimett said in staff memo.
The entire Teleposta Towers in Nairobi’s Central Business District will be fumigated this Saturday, including the ministry’s other offices at Postbank, Uchumi House and its field offices.
The wave of infections is severely restricting access to services, including processing of retirement benefits at Treasury where 20 per cent of all staff are sick with the novel coronavirus.
Treasury Principal Secretary Amos Gathecha says everyone at the ministry will be tested.
“We have requested the Ministry of Health to conduct testing for all the staff of the National Treasury… they will conduct 200 cases every day,” he said in a memo to department heads.
“You are asked to generate a list of 40 persons per day to be tested,” he said.
The virus has ratcheted up stress and disrupted work across government offices, where workers older than 58 years were already directed to work from home. Work is nearly impossible because most government documents are not digitised.
The World Health Organization says older people face a significant risk of developing severe illness if they contract Covid-19. This is due to physiological changes that come with ageing and to potential underlying health conditions.
“Older people carry the collective wisdom of our societies. They are valued and valuable members of our families and communities. But they are at higher risk of the more serious complications of Covid-19,” WHO boss Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said in a press briefing.
In its Human Resource Planning and Succession Management Strategy for Public Service, the PSC further said young people comprise only 17.4 per cent of Kenya’s civil service. Only 0.03 per cent occupy senior positions.
About 75 per cent of Kenyans are age 34 years and younger but the PSC has not recruited for many years.
In total, an estimated 700,000 employees work for government in ministries and parastatals, independent institutions such as the Teachers Service Commission, county governments and the disciplined forces.
Civil servants who spoke to the Star in Nairobi said the virus has caused anxiety and disrupted all the rhythms of work.
They said most government offices are open, crowded and untidy, and in such a situation the coronavirus can easily spread.
The PSC itself went on 10-day lockdown from Monday this week following cases of Covid-19 among the staff.
The Nairobi offices will reopen on June 27, if the situation improves.
Samples of 10 staff members turned positive for the disease following mass testing of the entire commission fraternity on July 1.
“In this regard, all staff and interns will be required to proceed on self-isolation at home. During this period, access to commission offices will be restricted except where there is prior clearance by the Secretary and CEO,” a memo dated July 10 reads.
During the closure, the entire PSC building on Nairobi’s Harambee Avenue will be fumigated.
Work at the State House has also been disrupted and most employees now work from the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, the NHIF headquarters and Harambee Annex. The move came after a number of employees tested positive in mass testing.
The teams working outside State House include accountants, staff of human resources, procurement, administration and communication departments.
The teams have been scaled down and are working in shifts to ensure the virus does not spread.
President Uhuru Kenyatta now operates from Harambee House under tight security.
State House Controller Kinuthia Mbugua is also based at Harambee House, working with a very lean team.
Hundreds of staff and families living on State House grounds remain under tight security and are not allowed to leave. Visitors are not allowed to enter.
Those who live at State House rely for basic items supplied from a truck from a supermarket in Nairobi.
“Public health officials are monitoring affected families and their close contacts, in line with regulations of the Ministry of Health as outlined by the World Health Organization,” a source told the Star.
The changes at State House come after a second group of four officials were admitted to Kenyatta University Hospital after testing positive following mass testing on June 11.
The first person to be admitted to the KNH from State House was a chef. Her boyfriend went into isolation at the same facility.