More than 80% of employment across all 47 counties is concentrated within the top 10 tribes, specifically the Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Luhya, and Luo communities.
Conversely, this leaves 29 other tribes collectively to make up a mere 1% of the workforce in county governments.
An audit report by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) underscores the alarming lack of diversity in county public services.
Disturbingly, only 13 out of the 47 counties adhere to the national recruitment policy, marking a decline from 21 compliant counties in 2016.
The comprehensive 200-page report discloses that the total county workforce stands at 184,876, with females constituting 53%.
Additionally, employees with disabilities amount to 2,089, representing a mere 1.14% of the total workforce.
Per Counties
Nairobi County, boasting a substantial wage bill of approximately Ksh.1.2 billion, leads with 13,513 staff, constituting 7.37% of all county employees.
The dominance of employment opportunities by the Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Luhya, and Luo tribes persists across all 47 counties, accounting for 80% of recruitment.
Kalenjins lead at 15.83%, closely followed by Kikuyus at 15.77%, while Luhya and Luo ethnicities secure the third and fourth positions with employment rates of 11.6% and 9.81%, respectively.
Marsabit County emerges as the most compliant, with the Borana tribe representing 33.41% of job enrollments.
Lamu and Tana River Counties follow, with dominant tribes making up 33.92% and 37.72% of job enrollments, respectively.
Conversely, Bomet County exhibits the lowest compliance, where the Kalenjin tribe commands a staggering 97% of staff employment, leaving the remaining 29 tribes with a mere 3%.
Nairobi County maintains its status as the most diverse county, incorporating 38 ethnic communities since 2016.
However, West Pokot County records the steepest decline in diversity, with a negative 42.35% regression.
Unfortunately, only 13 out of 47 counties adhere to established employment and recruitment procedures, marking a decrease from 21 counties in 2016.
Challenges
Numerous challenges contribute to employment non-compliance in devolved units, including
- Oolitical interference,
- Budgetary constraints,
- Favoritism,
- Lax oversight,
- Staff inheritance,
- Lack of a clear employment framework,
- Unprofessionalism.
Addressing these issues is crucial to fostering a fair and inclusive work environment.
During the report launch, NCIC Vice Chair Wambui Nyutu expressed concerns about the Commission’s perceived ineffectiveness.
She , therefore, called on the public to intervene, suggesting legal action and involvement of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to prevent illegal appointments.
Nyutu also announced that the next NCIC audit would focus on the national government and institutions to rectify human resource distribution inequalities across the country.
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