Members of Parliament have thrown their weight behind a new proposal by the Public Service Commission aimed at tightening rules on ethnic balance, inclusion, and fair recruitment across government offices, as concerns over unequal representation in public service hiring continue to grow.
The proposal was presented before the National Assembly Committee on Cohesion and Equal Opportunities on Wednesday, where PSC CEO Paul Famba explained that the Diversity Policy 2016 and the accompanying Affirmative Action Regulations are meant to address long-standing imbalances in public service employment and promotion.
“The policy promotes fairness, inclusion and representation in access to employment, training and development in the civil service,” Famba said before the committee chaired by Mandera West MP Adan Yussuf Haji.
He told lawmakers that the framework is based on the need to correct under-representation of some communities and improve participation of women, youth, and Persons Living with Disabilities in government jobs and career development.
Lawmakers welcomed the proposals, saying they would push state institutions to follow existing laws on diversity and ensure public offices reflect Kenya’s ethnic composition. They also said the reforms would strengthen oversight of recruitment and promotion processes in the public sector.
“The policy would make it compulsory for state agencies to follow the law and support the Committee’s efforts to ensure that public institutions reflect the diversity of Kenya in their staffing,” said Haji.
Lamu County MP Marubu Muthoni said the policy should also address gender gaps, especially the limited number of women in leadership and employment within public institutions.
“We want to see a public service where women have equal access to leadership opportunities just like their male colleagues,” she said.
Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge called for changes to the national internship programme, arguing that it currently excludes a large section of young people.
He said the programme mainly benefits university graduates while locking out those with diplomas and certificates.
“The current programme mainly supports degree holders leaving out those with diplomas and certificates who also form a large group. It should be reviewed to include everyone,” he said.
Shinyalu MP Fredrick Ikana raised concerns about youth representation in government employment and access to public procurement opportunities, warning that low participation could affect future leadership continuity.
Juja MP George Koimburi pointed out that Persons Living with Disabilities are still under-represented in many public institutions and called for stronger measures to remove barriers to their employment.
“We must address the reasons why such groups are not securing jobs in the public service,” he said.
The committee also praised the Public Service Commission for surpassing the legal requirement on employment of Persons Living with Disabilities, noting that 6.4 per cent of its staff are persons with disabilities, above the minimum threshold of five per cent.
“This is a good example to other state institutions that meeting this requirement is possible,” said Haji.
PSC said it will take into account all proposals from lawmakers as it finalizes the policy framework for implementation across government institutions.