Report: Public sector fails diversity laws as counties favour dominant communities
Kenya's Auditor General Nancy Gathungu reported that public institutions are failing to meet constitutional requirements for ethnic, gender, and disability representation. The audit highlights widespread irregular recruitment and non-compliance with affirmative action targets, particularly within county governments.
Why it matters
Systemic failure to adhere to diversity and meritocracy laws undermines public trust and equitable governance in the public sector.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu /FILE Kenya’s public sector continues to struggle with compliance with constitutional requirements on ethnic, gender and disability representation, with fresh audits exposing widespread discrimination and irregular recruitment in national and county governments.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu told the Senate Standing Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration on Tuesday, August 4, that several public institutions had failed to achieve affirmative action targets despite constitutional and statutory requirements.
Gathungu said audits had identified public institutions that were below the five per cent threshold for employment of persons with disabilities, while some had also failed to comply with the two-thirds gender rule and requirements on ethnic diversity.
“In the FY 2024-25, 14 MDAs and donor funded programs were not compliant with the proportion of employees with disability,” the Auditor General said.
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