Enhancing Electronic Government Services in Public Organizations in Kenya: Case of Huduma Postal City Square in Nairobi

Abstract

Across the world governments are transforming public organizations services in order to provide services that are customer centered, cost-efficient and user friendly. With Huduma Centres, the Government of Kenya has transformed public service delivery to the citizens. This research examined initiatives to enhance electronic government services in public organizations in Kenya using the case of Huduma Postal City Square in Nairobi. Objectives included to: establish the extent to which electronic government services are provided at Huduma Centres, explore the perception of customers towards electronic government services provided at Huduma Centres; investigate problems encountered by the customers in access and use of electronic government services at Huduma Centres; and determine the strategies to improve access and provision of electronic government services at Huduma Centres. The study used both qualitative and quantitative research methods to provide descriptive data from the case study of Huduma Posta City Square. Total target population incorporated in this research process was 298 respondents with 278 being customers and 20 staff members. Random and purposive samplings were used to choose the respondents for data collection purposes. Questionnaires and interviews were the tools used to gather data and information from the respondents whose results were presented in tables. The study revealed that electronic government services are accessed and provided at Huduma Centres included online applications for certificates such as marriage, licenses passports, and visa, business name search and registration, online payment system, information search on land matters information search for government services and information search on career, employment, education. The study revealed that majority of the citizens has a positive perception towards electronic government services provided at Huduma Centres. Huduma centres have eased service delivery by the government to its people. Huduma services has enhanced equitable treatment of citizens, promoted greater transparency in service delivery, fostered greater convenience and access to information and reduced bureaucracy. The study concluded that there are a number of challenges that affect access and use of electronic government services at Huduma Centres. Among the challenges include privacy issues, connectivity breakdown, lack of reliability of information, lack of awareness, slow speed of internet, lack of equality in public access to internet, lack of interconnectivity between government departments and high cost of internet. The study recommended that in order for the government to enhance provision of electronic government services at Huduma Centres, there is need to enhance the country's computer knowledge provision and internet penetration. Further the government needs to establish more Huduma Centres and increase the number of services provided at each centre. More importantly, since the virtually all services have been digitized, it is recommended that the government should ensure that there are strong internet connections within the centre to enhance service efficiency; this may be achieved by seeking the services of internet providers who are capable of providing high speed internet. The government should also keep training employees on customer service in order to improve the quality of services that the government provides to citizen.