Create More Huduma Centers, Govt urged

Residents of Busia county have urged the national government to consider establishing more Huduma Centers to bring services closer to the people.

The residents who spoke during the celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of the Busia Huduma Centre hailed the employees for effective service delivery.

Michael Adoli from Butula Sub County said that services at the facility were faster than those being offered by the mainstream government offices.

“There was a time my son lost his identity card. I came to this facility and within one month, he was issued with a new one,’ he said, adding that the process could have taken even two years had it gone to the mainstream Ministry.

Adoli added that effective service delivery at the facility has enabled clients to have ample time to attend to other issues.

“I would urge the government to establish more such centers because still people have to travel for long distances including to the neighboring county of Kakamega,” he said.

Everline Oduor from Nambale Sub County reiterated that the provision of services at the Huduma Centre was very good.

Oduor urged the government to establish more Center to help reduce transport costs for the people.

Allan Oundo, a resident of Busia town said that the services at the facility were very fast, but the government should consider having more centers at the Sub-county level.

“The government should establish at least one Centre in Samia Sub County so that it can serve both Budalangi and Funyula constituencies,” he said.

The centre Manager Caleb Nyongesa said conversations are ongoing to establish a centre in Amagoro, Teso North Sub County.

Huduma centre Busia branch Manager Caleb Nyongesa addressing staff at the facility during the celebrations to mark 10 years of its existence.

Nyongesa added that customer satisfaction at the facility stands at 95% attributing the remaining percentage to technical hitches.

“Sometimes it is about Departments working with us like last time we had issues to do with birth certificates, National Identity Cards and Certificates of good conduct but that has since been addressed,” he said.

At the same time, Nyongesa stated that the facility is serving at least 200 clients per day, but they are interacting with more clients right from the family level to the larger community.

‘People trust us, so when they need services, they start interacting at the family level,” he said, adding that they serve around 50,000 clients within one year.

The official further said that the institution also offers outreach services dubbed, Huduma Mashinani so that they can serve residents at the grassroots level.

Busia Deputy County Commissioner Chaka Nyamawi hailed the officers at the facility for serving the members of the public diligently.

“I wish you well because this is the only facility where you cannot fail to have an officer on duty whether it is lunch hour or not,” he said, adding that they work as a team.

Currently, there are 52 Huduma Kenya Centres countrywide with five in Nairobi, two in Kajiado, and 47 more centers situated at the Headquarters of each of the 47 Counties.

The first Huduma Kenya Centre was established in 2013 at GPO in Nairobi, while the Busia branch was launched in 2016.