MPs accuse Agriculture and Food Authority of ethnic bias, discrimination against PWDs
The MPs said the agency has, for years, overlooked ethnic diversity and neglected the inclusion of People Living with Disabilities (PLWDs), raising questions about its employment practices.
The National Assembly has criticised the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) for failing to uphold the Constitution’s principles on fair representation and inclusivity in its staffing.
The MPs said the agency has, for years, overlooked ethnic diversity and neglected the inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), raising questions about its employment practices.
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During a session with the National Assembly Committee on Cohesion and Equal Opportunities on Thursday, AFA Director General Bruno Linyiri disclosed that the Authority has operated without a human resource manual since 2013.
He explained that this gap had prevented the agency from carrying out structured recruitment and ensuring compliance with legal requirements.
“The Authority has never had a human resource manual since inception. Our staff were only deployed. We have not employed directly. However, we received the necessary HR framework this year and plan to recruit while addressing irregularities flagged by the Auditor General,” Linyiri told the committee.
Committee chairperson Duncan Mathenge (Nyeri Town) faulted the Authority over revelations that two ethnic communities make up 94 and 84 per cent of its workforce.
“This is unacceptable. AFA does not reflect the face of Kenya,” Mathenge remarked.
MPs further took issue with AFA’s treatment of PLWDs, saying the agency had failed to offer them equal employment opportunities.
Kamkunji MP Yusuf Hassan described the Authority’s record as a “serial violation of the Constitution”, noting that most PLWDs were only engaged as casual workers.
“Your argument that lack of experience locks out PLWDs is discriminatory. How will they gain experience if they are never given opportunities?” he posed.
Agnes Pareyio (Narok North) and Liza Chelule (Nakuru County) urged the Authority to partner with MPs in identifying qualified PLWDs from their constituencies, pointing out that relevant data already exists at the local level.
Other members, including Joshua Oron (Kisumu Central), Martin Owino (Ndhiwa) and Dick Maungu (Luanda), said the prolonged absence of an HR manual had opened space for management to avoid following employment rules.
The committee also pressed the Authority to extend its support to marginalised groups by helping them access credit. Nominated MP Denar Hamisi called on AFA to guarantee loans for these groups, similar to what other state entities have done.
Mathenge instructed the Authority to use the forthcoming recruitment to fix existing disparities and ensure fair representation of all groups, including women, youth and PLWDs.
“This is your chance to correct the anomalies and align with the constitutional principle of inclusivity,” he told Linyiri.
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