MPs raise concerns over ethnic disparities in public service jobs
By Maureen Kinyanjui |
According to the report, the Kikuyu community holds the highest number of positions in public service, with 29,978 officers.
Members of Parliament have raised serious concerns about the uneven distribution of job opportunities in Kenya's public service, pointing to a disproportionate representation of certain ethnic communities.
The National Assembly Committee on Labour, led by Runyenjes MP Karemba Muchagi on Tuesday convened a meeting with officials from the Public Service Commission (PSC) to examine the steps the Commission is taking to address these disparities.
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The PSC Chairperson Antony Muchiri, presented a report revealing concerning imbalances in the ethnic composition of public service workers.
According to the report, the Kikuyu community holds the highest number of positions in public service, with 29,978 officers, while marginalised communities, including the Gosha, Konso, and Leysan, are severely underrepresented, with just two officers from each community.
Muchiri told the MPs that while some ethnic disparities exist, the commission has made progress in ensuring diversity within the public service.
Ethnic inclusivity
The PSC Chairperson noted that 39 ethnic communities were represented in the public service in the Financial Year 2023-2024, an increase from 33 in the 2016-2017 period, showing an 18.2 per cent improvement in ethnic inclusivity.
"We have made strides in fostering regional balance and ethnic inclusivity in line with the law," Muchiri said, adding that the recruitment process also considers the inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and gender representation.
He further explained that the commission had introduced a measure to consider the county of origin of candidates during recruitment to prevent one county from dominating opportunities at the expense of others that share the same ethnic group.
"It is important to account for the county of origin to ensure that we don't inadvertently give too many opportunities to one county," Muchiri stated.
Despite these efforts, MPs expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing ethnic imbalance. They urged the PSC to take immediate action to correct these disparities and ensure that all communities are adequately represented in the public service.
The issue of ethnic imbalances in public service employment is not new. In a report released in November 2023, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) revealed that the Kalenjin community holds the largest share of public sector jobs, with 15.83 per cent of the total, followed closely by the Kikuyu community at 15.77 per cent.
The NCIC also reported that 10 ethnic communities account for 89 per cent of all public service jobs, underlining the urgent need for reforms to ensure more equitable representation across the country.
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