A decade after a new constitution that introduced county governments to help enhance equity in resource distribution and ensure service is closer to the people, Kenyans from small tribes continue to face ethnic favouritism and discrimination when it comes to securing jobs in the devolved units.
In the latest report by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), a public body aimed at addressing and reducing inter-ethnic conflicts in Kenya, citizens from large tribes namely Kikuyu, Kalenjin, Luhya and Luo continue to dominate employment opportunities in the majority of the 47 counties, with over 90% ethnic dominance against the smaller tribes.
Kenya has more than 40 tribes.
Ethnic enclaves still exist in the 21st century
According to the County Government Act of 2012, all counties should not employ more than 70% of the workforce from one tribe, to ensure inclusivity, and fairness to all the ethnic groups in a particular county.
“This shows we are still ethnic enclaves as a country. Loyalty is first to the ethnic group and then to the country. Minorities are being marginalised,” said Danvas Makori, from the NCIC.
In July, another report by the National Assembly’s Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity stated that apart from counties, public institution jobs are dominated by the Kikuyu and Kalenjin communities.
Only 13 counties out of the 47 have complied with the existing legal framework on ethnic diversity, with the cities of Nairobi, Mombasa, and Nakuru reported as the most ethnically diverse, with more than 30 ethnic groups represented in each of the county’s public service.
Fatima (requested to be mentioned by her first name only) is from the Nubian tribe, one of the smallest in Kenya.
She is a qualified nurse but has been trying for more than five years to get a job in the Luhya-dominant Bungoma county, despite living there.
She tells The Africa Report that she is discriminated against because of her tribe. “I’m sure my ethnicity has betrayed me. I have all the qualifications, but I can’t secure a job. This makes me sad,” she says.
Yohana Masawe is a Taita, another small tribe from the Coastal region. He studied Accounting at university and has been seeking a job without success for three years in Nyeri county, which is mainly dominated by the Kikuyu.
“I gave up. I was frustrated because I was not born there. I’m back home to try an opening in my home county,” he tells The Africa Report.
Lack of political will
One senior county official who did not want to be identified told The Africa Report that political interference mainly from the governors and local politicians remains the greatest obstacle to achieving ethnic balance across Kenyan counties.
“Governors are always demanding the employment of people from their own ethnic community, which is dominant in the county,” the source says, adding that the county public service board that employs workers is threatened if it goes against the governor’s order.
“The employment board’s hands are tied. They have no option. If they defy the orders, they risk being sacked,” the source adds.
To enhance ethnic diversity in counties, the political class has to rise above ethnic groupings and embrace other smaller tribes, political and governance expert Wycliffe Odera tells The Africa Report.
“To address this inequality, governors require a strong political will and commitment,” he says, adding that the county leadership should accept that people from other tribes have relevant skills to help improve their counties and should be given an opportunity in accordance with the constitution.
Odera proposes an amendment to the County Act, to introduce a provision of the law to punish county governments that contravene measures put in place to promote ethnic balance in counties.
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