CS Kuria: Gov’t to scrap ‘rich zones’ from hardship area list by January

The government will review its list of hardship areas in the next three months, Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management Moses Kuria has said.

Kuria told the Senate on Wednesday that his ministry will revise the classification to include zones which have not been categorised as hardship areas while also dropping places whose situation has improved.

“It is my commitment that within three months, this process will have gone through parliament and be concluded. It is not just about areas which have not been classified as hardship and need to, but also about areas that have ceased to be hardship be declassified,” the CS said.

“Some situations have changed and economies improved in particular areas and now we have rich places existing as hardship areas. They need to be removed so that we give way to some areas that qualify to be termed as such (hardship).”

The minister said by January 2024, the matter will have been dispensed by Cabinet, gazetted and implemented.

Kuria was answering questions from the Senate on the slow pace with which the government is reviewing some areas for classification as hardship zones, challenging the work of public servants and also the implementation of targeted programs to improve the situation of the areas.

Some of the areas the government has classified as hardship areas for public servants are Baringo, Garissa, Isiolo, Lamu and Mandera sub-counties.

Workers stationed in these areas get a monthly hardship allowance, which varies depending on their job group.