By Tobias Ogutu
Public offices are primarily responsible for providing services to citizens, and no private business is allowed during official duties. Although public office holders may occasionally encounter acquaintances and wish to discuss personal matters, this is not permitted, especially when others are waiting in line for service. However, local chiefs in Nyalenda often engage in conversations with friends in their offices without concern, even when other citizens are waiting for their services. For these local officials, personal and family matters take precedence, even at the expense of serving the public fairly.
In February 2025, I walked to a chief’s camp in Nyalenda A to have documents for a job application signed. I was happy to be in the waiting area where only two people were present, so I was sure I would be there for just a short time. However, to my surprise, it took three hours before it was my turn to meet the chief. The main reason was that the person inside with the chief when I arrived was a former schoolmate of the chief.
For a full two hours and forty-five minutes, the chief and the visitor had been telling stories. The chief did not consider that he was in a public office and that some citizens were waiting for his services. The storytelling lasted so long that his secretary had to remind him several times that people were waiting in line, but even that could not stop him. All we could hear in the waiting area was the hyena-like laughter of the chief and his visitor. We could also overhear some of the stories they were sharing; they were not serious matters that warranted such a lengthy conversation. The chief and his friend were reminiscing about how they would sneak back for extra food in high school, how bedbugs used to cause sleepless nights in the dormitories, and so on.
The story could have continued for even more hours if the visitor’s phone had not rung. Fortunately, it was an urgent call. The visitor left the chief’s office, promising to return the following day. The chief escorted him a few meters from the office, still sharing high school stories. Upon returning, the chief was not sorry for taking so long and even openly blamed the secretary for disturbing him while he was with an important visitor.
This is yet another instance of abuse of public office that residents across the country are experiencing at the local level. The government needs to train chiefs in office time management to prevent inconveniencing citizens who may be in a hurry to access services.
