PSC report exposes 180 ethnic strongholds in public service

The report by the Public Service Commission reveals that dozens of institutions operate as ethnic enclaves where a single community constitutes an overwhelming majority of the staff.

The data, part of a broader audit on ethnic representation, lists 180 institutions where one ethnic group holds more than 50 per cent of the officer positions.

It details large variations between their dominance at the entity level and their national population share, making a diverse and inclusive public service a mirage.

At the top of the list for state corporations is Tana Water Works Development Agency, where the Kikuyu community makes up 71 per cent of the staff.

The Ewaso Nyiro South Development Authority also has 71 per cent representation from the Maasai community.

Given that the Maasai make up only three per cent of the national population, the numbers represent a 68-point variation, the highest in the entire report.

The other glaring example in the state corporations list is the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret.

With a total of 3,568 staff, 2,389 are from the Kalenjin community, translating to 67 per cent dominance.

Golf Hotel also had more Luhyas – at 66 per cent, same as at Bukura Agricultural College, where the community dominated at 54 per cent, while Nyayo Tea Zones had 52 per cent Kalenjin dominance.

Water development agencies, which are often regionally focused, appear to be particularly susceptible to becoming ethnic strongholds.

Besides, Tana Water, Kerio Valley Development Authority is dominated by the Kalenjin at 71 per cent. The Coast Water Works Development Agency had a 62 per cent Mijikenda majority.

The pattern continues with the Tanathi Water Works Development Agency (63 per cent Kamba) and the Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency (63 per cent Luo).

At total of 16 state corporations have been flagged for breaching the law, which says no one community should exceed 33 per cent of an entity’s workforce.

While geographical location could influences the pool of applicants, the scale of the imbalance revealed in the PSC report suggests more than just happenstance.

It points to a culture of "jobs for our own," where networks and ethnic ties may supersede merit and the constitutional principle that the public service should reflect the diversity of the nation.

TVETs perhaps had the worst cases with institutions such as Igembe South which had 100 per cent staff from the Meru community. About 140 institutions have been flagged in the review.

Chepsirei had 98 per cent Kalenjins, the same for Kipkabus TVET. Institutions like Ndia TVET had 98 per cent Kikuyus, the same as Kieni TVET, and Elwak (94 per cent Somalis). The others were in the range of 52 to 90 per cent.

The phenomenon extends deep into the heart of public universities, where Kibabii University had the Luhya community making up 76 per cent of the staff.

With 312 Luhya officers out of a total of 413, the university's composition contrasted sharply with the community's 14 per cent share in the national census.

This pattern is repeated across institutions that are geographically and culturally aligned with specific communities.

Koitalel Arap Samoei University College follows a similar trajectory, with the Kalenjin community holding 75 per cent of the positions.

Rongo University in Migori has the Luo community occupying 72 per cent of its jobs, followed by Kabianga, with Kalenjin’s accounting for 71 per cent.

The trend is not limited to newer or smaller institutions. Moi University, one of the country's oldest and largest, reports that the Kalenjin community constitutes 63 per cent of its 2,292 officers.

Similarly, Maseno University has a 62 per cent Luo majority, and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology shows a 65 per cent Luhya dominance.

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission Act of 2008 requires institutions to ensure equal opportunity and national cohesion.

The argument has been that when a university in the former Central Province, like Murang’a University (59 per cent Kikuyu) or Kirinyaga University (63 per cent Kikuyu), overwhelmingly hires from the local community, it shuts out qualified professionals from other parts of the country.

At Kisii University, the Kisii community holds 66 per cent of the posts while the South Eastern Kenya University has a 52 per cent Kamba majority.

For the institutions listed, the report is more than just a statistical snapshot, but a call for urgent remedial action. The PSC’s exposure of the ethnic enclaves puts them on notice, demanding a concerted effort to ensure that their workforce in the future truly represents the face of Kenya. The challenge now lies in moving from the revelation to a tangible reality of balance and inclusion.