Parliament Makes Radical Changes on Govt Jobs After Spending Ksh 1.7 Billion

Jobseekers in the country may soon turn to social media to access job opportunities advertised by the government.

In a proposal by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that sought to review the Government Advertising Agency (GAA), all advertising for government jobs will move from the newspapers to online platforms.

According to the committee on Monday, February 27, the model cost the government Ksh1.7 billion in the financial year 2020/2021 but was ineffective.

“The GAA advertising model has failed Kenyans. It is only bent on paying huge amounts of money to four print media houses at the expense of alternative media and online platforms. It should be reviewed as soon as possible,” stated, vice chairperson, Tindi Mwale.

It argued that opportunities, not only jobs, should be accessible to all Kenyans rather than those who can buy a newspaper only.

“The current model that gave preference to four mainstream print media houses was ineffective as the advertisements were not reaching the majority of targeted readers,” committee members argued.

In its defence, the committee argued that, unlike newspapers, young people across the country can access social media.

Additionally, Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe called for the ministry to be at the forefront of supporting the digital economy model.

“Ensure that social media is one of their advertising channels so that the information about job opportunities, markets, and new commodities among others reach the majority of Kenyans,” the MP added.

Furthermore, Kagombe accused the government of favouring established media houses and overlooking a more effective and affordable platform.

Conclusively, the committee questioned why the department was not monitoring the advertising model to assess its viability.