The Public Service Commission (PSC) has issued a stern warning to public officers across Kenya, declaring that any form of abuse targeting interns in government institutions is a criminal offence — and offenders will face both disciplinary and legal consequences.
The warning was delivered on Monday during a capacity-building workshop for Public Service Internship Programme (PSIP) mentors and coaches held in Naivasha, where PSC Chairperson Francis Meja addressed supervisors head-on.
“As mentors and coaches, you are the first line of defence. You are obligated to create safe, respectful, and dignified environments for every intern. Any form of abuse — whether physical, emotional, or sexual — is not only a betrayal of public trust but also a criminal offence,” Meja said.
The warning comes as the Commission flagged a growing number of intern mistreatment cases in government institutions, raising alarm over the safety of young graduates entering public service.
The Naivasha workshop, running from May 25 to 29, targets over 100 PSIP mentors and coaches drawn from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and public universities. The five-day programme aims to equip supervisors with practical mentorship and coaching skills to better support interns undertaking the 12-month placement.
PSC Secretary and CEO Paul Famba reinforced the message, calling on supervisors to go beyond their administrative roles.
“Every intern placed in your respective institutions is waiting for someone to believe in them, guide them, and protect them. Your mentorship can be the difference between a broken career and a bright future,” Famba said.
The crackdown comes at a milestone moment for the programme. Since PSIP’s launch in 2019, a total of 37,504 graduates have benefited from the initiative, with 3,137 alumni securing appointments in MDAs and County Governments, while many others have found footing in the private sector.
Yet the warning underscores a troubling underbelly. A 2024 study by the Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK) found that 42 percent of women were first harassed as interns, with 40 percent of all female interns in the media sector personally reporting such experiences. Separately, 57 percent of harassers were found to hold positions of authority, while a GeoPoll Gender Equality Report revealed that 51 percent of Kenyan workers have experienced workplace sexual harassment.
Government offices account for 21 percent of reported sexual harassment locations in Kenya — yet the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) estimates that only 10 percent of victims formally report such incidents, largely out of fear of retaliation.
Intern exploitation is not new. The Court of Appeal previously declared unconstitutional a Teachers Service Commission programme that subjected 44,000 intern teachers to full workloads while paying them discriminatory wages.
With PSIP’s reach growing each year, the PSC’s message is clear: internships must open doors — not expose young graduates to harm.
