APSD 2025 Closes with Call for Innovation and Inclusion

Thursday 12th June, 2025 

The curtains have closed on the 2025 Africa Public Service Day (APSD) celebrations held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi. The three-day event showcased the best of Kenya’s public service, highlighting innovation, inclusion, and resilience.

In a keynote address delivered by Mr. Eliud Owalo on behalf of Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, Mr. Felix Koskei, public servants were called upon to embrace ethical leadership, digital transformation, and workforce innovation. Mr. Koskei emphasized that APSD is more than a celebration; it's a national and continental reminder to re-centre public service around equity and impact. He lauded the integration of over 22,000 services on the e-Citizen platform as a landmark achievement and urged cross-sector collaboration to drive the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

On her part, Principal Secretary for Public Service and Human Capital Development, Dr. Jane Kere Imbunya, praised the successful execution of APSD 2025, highlighting the women-led organizing team as a symbol of transformative leadership. She also celebrated the APSD CSR caravan, which reached vulnerable communities in Kibera, Magare, Ruaraka, Dagoretti, and Komarock with dignity kits and school essentials. “This was public service with heart and purpose,” she noted.

Throughout the week, symposiums and exhibitions sparked rich discussions on digitization, transparency, and legal reform in the public sector. Dr. Imbunya commended the Huduma Centres for their impressive displays of efficient service delivery and applauded the innovators selected to represent Kenya at the continental APSD forum in Addis Ababa. Closing with a call for public servants to serve with purpose, passion, and creativity, she urged continued innovation “inside the box, outside the box, and without the box.”

A key highlight was the APSD 2025 Innovation Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions across several categories:

•             Technology & Digitization: Jaza Miti by Kenya Forest Research Institute (KEFRI)

•             Public Service Inclusivity: Kang’ata Care by Murang’a County

•             Agility & Resilience: Poultry Melofax by Tharaka University

•             Adjudicators’ Award: Kenya Power

•             Best Pavilion: Huduma Kenya

As APSD 2025 concludes, the spirit of service, excellence, and innovation continues. The celebrations may be over, but the journey toward a more inclusive, agile, and citizen-focused public service is just beginning.