Michael Kiprono
Nairobi.
A new audit by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has laid bare deep-rooted ethnic imbalances in Kenya’s public sector, revealing that just eight ethnic groups control nearly 88% of all jobs in state corporations — a concentration critics warn undermines inclusion and threatens national cohesion.
The report, Ethnic and Diversity Audit of Parastatals 2025, examined employment data from 299 parastatals comprising about 146,399 employees. It found that systemic favoritism has entrenched ethnic monopolies in key economic institutions, sidelining smaller and marginalized communities despite constitutional guarantees of equity and fairness under Article 232 of the Constitution.
At the top of the hierarchy are Kenya’s largest ethnic groups. The Kikuyu lead with 20.06% (29,352 employees), followed by the Kalenjin at 17.58% (25,729), and the Luo at 14.12% (20,656). Combined, the three groups hold over half of all parastatal jobs. The top six communities—Kikuyu, Kalenjin, Luo, Luhya, Kamba, and Kisii—occupy 79.85% of all positions. Expanding to the top eight pushes this figure to nearly 88%, leaving just 12% of roles shared among Kenya’s remaining 32 ethnic groups.
Minority and marginalized communities are virtually excluded. Twenty-three groups—including the Rendile, Orma, Burji, Ndorobo, Gosha, Konso, Kuria, Suba, and Ilchamus—collectively account for less than 1% of parastatal employment. Beyond numbers, this exclusion limits diverse perspectives in decision-making and entrenches economic inequalities in historically neglected regions.
Speaking during the report’s launch, NCIC Commissioner Dr. Danvas Makori described the findings as “a loud alarm bell for Kenya’s democracy.”
“The ethnic audits are not just about numbers—they are about fairness, representation, and accountability,” he said. “Institutions that remain non-compliant must reflect deeply and act to address these imbalances before they erode the social fabric further.”
Dr. Makori noted that the disparities mirror historical patterns of political patronage, echoing the 2016 ethnic audit, which revealed similar dominance in state enterprises.
The report also highlights gender disparities, with men comprising 62.24% (91,079) of the workforce compared to 37.76% (55,260) women, exposing a dual imbalance of ethnicity and gender.
The NCIC has called for urgent corrective measures, including mandatory diversity and inclusion training, targeted recruitment of underrepresented groups, and stricter enforcement of the two-thirds gender rule in public appointments.
This audit follows similar NCIC reviews of county governments (2023) and public universities (2025), which found six communities dominating more than 80% of academic and administrative roles.
The findings come amid ongoing debates over public sector reforms and calls for Parliament to tighten oversight and sanction non-compliant agencies.
As Kenya marks 15 years since the 2010 Constitution’s promise of inclusivity, civic groups warn that persistent ethnic monopolies could deepen divisions ahead of future elections.
The NCIC has pledged to monitor compliance and directed all parastatals to submit concrete diversity action plans within 90 days.