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{
    "id": 1493072,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1493072/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 390,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mandera West, UDM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Yusuf Adan",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "opportunities for access to employment. Article 232 (1)(a) provides that the values and principles of public service include affordable, adequate and equal opportunity for appointments, training and advancement at all levels of Public Service, of men and women and members of different ethnic groups and persons with disabilities. The Committee was further guided by Section 7 of the National Cohesion and Integration Act No.12 of 2008. However, the Committee is now looking into repealing that Act. Regarding ethnic community representation in public institutions, the Committee noted the following: Kibabii University has the highest representation of one ethnic community – the Luhya community – at 76.2 per cent. We also noted that 12 institutions are dominated by the Kikuyu community. They include NEMA, NIA, Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, NTSA, IEBC, KIPPRA, KAA, KRC, REREC, NPSC, Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency, and Kenya Industrial Property Institute. Those 12 institutions are dominated by the Kikuyu community. Three institutions; namely, the Local Authorities Provident Fund, Rivatex East Africa Limited and Kenya Seed Company, are dominated by the Kalenjin community. Two institutions, namely the Coast Water Works Development Agency and the Kenya Port Authority are dominated by the Mijikenda community. Two institutions, namely Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology and Maseno University are dominated by the Luo community. Looking at the compliance with the two-thirds gender rule, the Committee noted that out of the 20 institutions, 17 have adhered to the two-thirds gender rule. We congratulate them. But the Coast Water Works Development Agency, Kenya Ports Authority and Kenya Railways Corporation have a problem. The Coast Water Works Development Agency has a female representation of 19.2 per cent against a male representation of 80.8 per cent. This is totally unacceptable. The Kenya Ports Authority has a female representation of 21.9 per cent instead of a minimum of 30 per cent. The male gender has a percentage of 78.3. The Kenya Railways Corporation has 20 per cent female and 80 per cent male representation. This is unacceptable in Kenya, 14 years after having our current Constitution. Those institutions have had 14 years to rectify some of those anomalies. On compliance with Article 55 of the Constitution, the Committee observed that only eight out of the 20 institutions sampled had equal opportunity in employment of the youth. The Kenya Seed Company had the least representation in youth at 11.13 per cent. In light of the foregoing, the Committee made some serious observations and recommendations. Section 7 of the National Cohesion and Integration Act, 2008 obligates all establishments to ensure representation of Kenya’s diversity by having not more than one-third of their staff from the same ethnic group. That provision has been seriously violated. It is worth noting that the Kikuyu ethnic community has the highest representation in the country at 17 per cent in terms of population. The Committee is in the process of repealing the Act. A Bill has already been tabled and will be debated in this House in the near future. The Bill proposes to reduce the limit to one-fifth, if the House passes it. There are significant ethnic imbalances in the composition of staff at various levels. Some ethnic groups are over-represented while others are under-represented. As per Article 232(1)(h), the Constitution expressly provides that the Public Service should be representative of Kenyan communities, which it is not so at present. There are noticeable age disparities also. When it comes to Board members of public institutions, they are not recruited in the same manner as employees. They are mostly nominees or representatives of various interest groups. However, it is worth noting that the composition of Boards is from the highly represented communities in the country. There is little diversity in Board membership in terms of both ethnic representation and gender balancing. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}