Senators Push to Centralise County Job Hiring to Curb Ethnic Favouritism

A legislative push to overhaul how Kenya's 47 counties recruit and manage their workforce has emerged in the Senate, as lawmakers seek to address persistent concerns over ethnic dominance in local government jobs.

The proposal, led by Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute, suggests a shift toward a national hiring framework. This move would potentially replace the current system managed by independent county public service boards.

Senator Chute, who serves as the chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration, argues that the current decentralised model has allowed ethnic favouritism to take root.

The proposed changes would require significant amendments to the County Governments Act. Under the current law, counties have the autonomy to recruit their own staff, a provision intended to support the principles of devolution.

However, recent reports from the National Cohesion and Integration Commission have highlighted a worrying trend. Findings indicate that a handful of ethnic communities continue to hold a disproportionate share of positions within both state corporations and county governments.

In some instances, the dominant community within a specific county occupies the vast majority of senior and mid-level roles, leaving little room for representation from minority groups or residents from other regions.

The Senate committee has been reviewing the staff composition of various devolved units to verify compliance with constitutional requirements regarding gender, disability, and ethnic diversity.

Senator Chute has welcomed further engagement with the Public Service Commission to establish a legislative framework that ensures meritocracy. He maintains that centralising the process could lead to a more balanced distribution of public service opportunities.

The move is expected to spark a standoff between the Senate and various county leaderships. Governors have historically guarded their hiring powers, viewing them as a core component of the executive authority granted by the 2010 Constitution.

Critics of the centralisation plan argue that it could undermine the spirit of devolution by stripping local authorities of the ability to manage their human resources based on local needs.

Conversely, proponents believe a national body or a more integrated system would better uphold the values and principles of public service as outlined in Article 232 of the Constitution.

The discussion comes at a time when the Senate is also weighing other reforms, such as the Public Service (Values and Principles) (Amendment) Bill, which seeks greater transparency in how both national and county entities report on their workforce demographics.

If the proposal gains traction, it would mark one of the most significant shifts in the administrative structure of the devolved units since their inception over a decade ago.

The focus remains on whether Parliament can balance the autonomy of the counties with the national requirement for an inclusive and diverse public service that reflects the face of Kenya.