MOMBASA: Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service Felix Koskei has called on records and ICT professionals in the public sector to take the lead in driving Kenya’s digital transformation agenda through effective information and records management.
Speaking during the official opening of the 9th Kenya Association of Records Managers and Archivists (KARMA) Annual Records Management Conference at PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort, Mombasa, Koskei said sound information governance is central to building a “smart government” anchored on efficiency, accountability, and citizen convenience.
“The era of manual records is behind us. We must bridge the gap between technical systems and information governance,” he said, emphasizing the need for collaboration between records managers and ICT officers.
This year’s conference, themed “Unlocking Smart Government”, brought together professionals from the records management and ICT sectors to explore innovations driving Kenya’s digital transformation.
Koskei noted that the government had made significant strides in digitizing key services, citing the migration of over 22,000 services to the eCitizen platform, the launch of an Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS) at his office, and the rollout of fiber-optic and cloud infrastructure to support digital operations.
He said these reforms were aligned with national policy frameworks, including the Kenya National Digital Master Plan (2022–2032), the Ministry of ICT Strategic Plan (2023–2027), the Kenya Cloud Policy (2025), and the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2025–2030).
The Head of Public Service further challenged public servants to rethink their role in governance by embracing simplicity, responsiveness, and data-driven decision-making.
“We envision a government that is simple, responsive, and data-driven, one that relies on accurate, reliable information for policy decisions. That depends on you, the professionals in records management,” he said.
He urged records officers to reposition themselves as strategic enablers of public sector efficiency rather than backroom clerks.
“You are the invisible engine of the public sector,” he said. “Position yourselves as proactive professionals who drive innovation and integrity across government.”
Calling the profession the “custodians of trust and engineers of integrity,” Koskei encouraged officers to elevate their skills in data governance, cybersecurity, and digital preservation, champion compliance with recordkeeping standards, and seek greater visibility within institutions.
He pledged continued government support for capacity-building initiatives, including the creation of a scheme of service for records managers, partnerships with the Kenya School of Government and UNDP, and training for more than 10,000 public servants in digital skills.
The conference was attended by senior government officials, including Dr. Naftal Chweya, Director of Records Management at the State Department for Culture and Heritage, and Dr. Cleophas Ambira, Chairman of KARMA.