By TWV Team
A storm is brewing in Kenya’s public service following a controversial directive from the Public Service Commission (PSC) that threatens the careers of thousands of senior officers. In a sweeping reform, the PSC has issued a two-year ultimatum for all civil servants in senior grades, Directors and above (CSG 5 and higher), to obtain a Master’s degree or face dismissal.
The directive, outlined in a circular dated May 13, 2025, and signed by PSC Chief Executive Paul Famba, targets senior leadership across ministries, parastatals, and uniformed services, including the Kenya Wildlife Service, National Youth Service, and Kenya Prisons. While the PSC claims the move aims to professionalize government leadership, critics argue it risks an ill-timed academic purge that could erode institutional memory and prioritize paper credentials over experience.
“The government is committed to ensuring the public service develops the required competencies,” Famba stated in the circular. However, he noted that this commitment has been undermined by the suspension of certain in-service training programs.
Ironically, the directive coincides with the National Treasury’s decision to slash budget allocations for staff development and postgraduate training in the 2025/26 estimates, presented last week by Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi. This apparent disconnect has raised concerns across the public sector.
The policy disproportionately affects officers aged 50 and above, many of whom have risen through the ranks based on years of hands-on expertise. For these seasoned professionals, returning to academia while managing complex national duties is not only daunting but also financially prohibitive. A Master’s degree at a public university costs an average of KSh 2 million, with private institutions charging even more. With limited government support and no clear scholarship framework, many officers face an uncertain future.
Sources within the Executive Office reveal that even political appointees serving as directors, many lacking postgraduate qualifications, are not exempt from the requirement. This has sparked speculation about potential political fallout, as the directive could unseat allies of high-ranking politicians who prioritized practical experience over academic credentials.
“It’s one thing to demand competence; it’s another to weaponize academic qualifications without providing structural support,” said a former permanent secretary, speaking anonymously. “Reform should invest in people, not set traps for them.”
The directive reverses a 2020 framework under the late PSC Chairman Stephen Kirogo, which had suspended the requirement for a Master’s degree and the Strategic Leadership Development Programme (SLDP) as mandatory for promotions. At the time, the PSC acknowledged that qualifications alone did not guarantee effective leadership and emphasized a broader skill set. The reinstatement of these academic requirements has reignited debate, with the PSC arguing that a leadership vacuum has emerged due to insufficient academic and management training.
Proponents of the policy view it as a necessary step to restore meritocracy in a bloated and complacent system. However, opponents warn that the civil service risks losing its most experienced leaders, potentially replaced by rushed degree-holders or politically favoured recruits who prioritize compliance over competence.
The Kenya School of Government and other public training institutions are expected to play a pivotal role in accommodating the anticipated surge in demand for postgraduate programs. However, their capacity to absorb this influx remains uncertain.
