The Commission dates back to 1954 when Civil Service Commission was established by British Colonial Government following Holmes Commission Report, 1948; Civil Service Commission was advisory to the Governor in matters of appointments; At independence in 1963 it was enshrined in the constitution and renamed Public Service Commission; Independence Constitution had Regional PSC’s but abolished in 1964 following constitutional amendments; It is the oldest Constitutional Commission and its mandate has expanded over the years. The Commission then constituted of a chairman, a deputy chairman and fifteen members all appointed by the President. The Commission, since then, has handled matters of human resource management in the public service especially the civil service and local authorities. Constitution of Kenya, 2010 promulgated on 27th August 2010 reconstituted the Commission with a redefined and expanded mandate and a lean membership.

For appointment to this grade, a candidate must have:

• Served for a minimum period of five (5) years in governance and ethics, public policy, social research, legislative framework on governance or related field, three (3) of which should be at CSG 9 and above or in a comparable and relevant position in the Public Service;
• A Bachelors degree in Governance and Leadership, Political Science, Public Administration, Anthropology, Law, Sociology, International Relations or any other relevant qualifications from a university recognized in Kenya; and
• Demonstrate thorough understanding of national goals, policies, objectives and how they link to National Values and Principles of Governance and Values and Principles of Public Service.

Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Participating in the development and implementation of programmes for the promotion of national and public service values and principles under Articles 10 and 232 of the Constitution in the Public Service;
• Participating in the preparation of the report to the President and Parliament on the extent to which the values and principles are complied with in the Public Service and determine the compliance indices within the Public Service;
• Training Public Officers on the legal, policy and administrative framework on governance and ethics in the Public Service;
• Drafting briefs and reports for the Compliance and Quality Assurance Committee on governance and ethics;
• Administering and analyzing the declarations of Incomes, Assets and Liabilities in the Public Service;
• Participating in the annual evaluation and reporting on the status of implementation of values and principles in Articles 10 and 232 of the Constitution;
• Participating in the annual citizen satisfaction surveys and governance audits;
• Participating in investigation on the organization, administration and personnel practices in public institutions;
• Participating in the development and/or review of legislations, policies, regulations, guidelines and procedures on the promotion of values and good governance across the Public Service;
• Provision of technical support on governance and ethics in the Public Service; and
• Any other duty as may be assigned from time to time.