The new ethnic composition in State shows how politics and tribalism come to play in the government’s top jobs after two communities dominate bigger positions.
The report shows that Kikuyu and Kalenjin communities dominate top jobs in government, embassies, and chief executive positions in parastatals.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) in the reports to Parliament said Kalenjins and Kikuyus account for 29 percent and 11 percent of the 417 government jobs including directors and principal secretaries respectively.
Those from the Kikuyu community accounts for 27 percent of the country’s 66 ambassadors with the Kalenjins take 14 percent.
On the CEO of parastatals, Kikuyu takes 20 percent of the positions followed by Kalenjins at 19.4 percent, Luo 14.4 percent while Luhyas takes 10 percent.
This comes even as the Kenyan Constitution brought in the ethnic representation requirement to check a historical trend where the tribesmen of those in power were favored during the recruitment process.
“Ethnic representation in the service is examined against the corresponding national population proportion,” Margaret Kobia, the Cabinet Secretary said in the report.
PSC diversity policy stipulates that all public service institutions are required to prepare measures to correct the ethnic imbalance in government jobs.
Prof Margaret Kobis said 210 public institutions have come up with a three-year plan to resolve the imbalance in terms of gender, ethnicity, and persons with disabilities to enable them “address the gaps by progressively working towards achieving near-parity”.
The report shows that Kikuyu is over-presented in the top government jobs with 120 positions that account for 29 percent of the top jobs against their 17 percent share of the population-based on the 2019 Census. The Kikuyus took 20 percent of parastatal CEO jobs and 27 percent of the top positions in foreign missions.
On the other hand, the Kalenjin that represent 13 percent of Kenya’s population took 19.4 percent of CEOs position in the State-owned firms and 14 percent of top Embassy jobs. They accounted for 11 percent of the senior jobs in the civil service.
Luo accounts for 11 percent of the country’s population but takes 14.4 percent CEO jobs in parastatals and 10 percent of the top government jobs.
Meru who account for four percent of the population but are overrepresented among top state jobs.
Luhya that accounts for 14 percent of the Kenyan population took eight percent of senior positions in the civil service and 10 percent of top jobs in the foreign missions.
Other underrepresented communities included the Ogiek, Kenyan Asians, Kenyan Arabs, Njemps, Kisii, and Mijikenda.
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