Prof Jane Imbunya: Village teacher Ruto trusted with public service, redefining human capital and service delivery

In a government often dominated by career politicians, Prof Jane Kere Imbunya stands out as a scholar, reformer and administrator whose rise from a rural village classroom to the apex of public service is a testament to merit, grit and academic excellence.

The Principal Secretary for the State Department for Public Service and Human Capital Development, Prof Imbunya is the woman President William Ruto has entrusted with the critical task of transforming Kenya’s public service into an efficient, ethical and people-centered institution.

A respected academic, Prof Imbunya is the immediate former Dean of the School of Education and Social Sciences at Kaimosi Friends University (KAFU), where she also served as Director of Quality Assurance and Management Systems. Before that, she taught at Gaborone University College and the University of Botswana and has been an external examiner at Kibabii University, Botswana Open University, University of South Africa and Zambia Open University.

Her academic credentials are formidable. She holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Nairobi, a Master of Education, a Master of Philosophy and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Botswana. She is a published author of four books, including Constructivism: Its Implications on Curriculum, Teaching and Learning and Research Methods Simplified – books she recently donated to Masinde Muliro University (MMUST) to boost research.

Prof Imbunya’s national influence became visible when she was appointed as a member of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms, where she served as technical advisor to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development on Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and as an education expert advisor to the Botswana Parliament.

Since taking over as PS on April 22, 2025, from Amos Gathecha, she has hit the ground running.

She has pushed for commercialization of the National Youth Service (NYS) to achieve the 100,000 recruits target, championed ethical recruitment at the Public Service Commission where she recounted how she herself was appointed on merit as a young rural woman, and reaffirmed government commitment to efficient service delivery during tours of Huduma Centres.

She also now sits on the Governing Board of the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) in Arusha, representing Kenya among ten member states.

Those who have worked with her describe her as humble, inclusive and compassionate.

“As we move forward, our focus will be on building a public service that is not only efficient and responsive, but also caring and inclusive,” she said during her handover.

In a region hungry for role models, Prof Imbunya – who also co-founded The Magnum Resort in Vihiga – has become a symbol that academic excellence can translate into national leadership.

From lecture halls in Botswana to boardrooms in Arusha and Harambee House in Nairobi, Prof Jane Imbunya is quietly but firmly reforming the engine that runs Kenya – the public servant.