The Public Service Commission (PSC) has encouraged County Public Service Boards (CPSBs) and County Assembly Service Boards (CASBs) across all the 47 county governments to adhere to the 30 percent rule in employment that mandates that no single ethnic community should hold more than one-third (approximately 30 percent) of the total staff in any public establishment.
Speaking during a three-day capacity building forum for North Rift Counties on Human Resource matters arising from county appeals, at RVTTI, Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County PSC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Paul Famba noted that bringing in employees from other ethnic communities across the country would inject expertise and more experience to the human resource and the county government, while at the same time promoting national cohesion and integration.
The Commission, which this year alone has processed 233 appeals and reviewed 24 applications, observed that there was a serious gap in the management of human resource functions and unfair labour practices in the counties.
This informed the capacity building exercise targeting CPSBs, CASBs, and county executives on all human resource matters to improve efficiency, enhance skills, sharing of knowledge and best practices and identify other areas of collaboration between the Commission and Counties.
The CEO praised Muranga county government which has effectively implemented the law by employing experts from other regions in the country, and asked others to follow the example.
“We are capacity building you to ensure an excellent public service to support the president’s ambition to make Kenya a first world country. Just be fair to everyone and ensure 30 percent of your staff come from outside the county. This will help us see the spirit of national integration,” noted Famba.
“We need the County Public Service Boards and Assembly Boards to be strengthened to do the right thing. We enjoy the security of the Constitution to make decisions that do not necessarily please the Executive,” added the CEO.
The County Government Act (2012) specifically requires County Public Service boards to ensure that at least 30 percent of entry-level employees are not from the county’s dominant ethnic group.
The 30 percent employment rule in Kenyan counties is also in line with the National Cohesion and Integration Act, 2008, and aims to foster national unity, equality, and inclusivity by ensuring that public institutions reflect the country’s ethnic diversity.
If well implemented, the employment requirement would help promote national cohesion and integration by preventing the dominance of one ethnic group in the county’s public service and assembly service and ensure a balanced representation of Kenya’s diverse population.
It would also ensure equality of opportunity hence no discrimination in employment practices based on a person’s ethnicity or social origin, thereby guaranteeing job seekers fair access to public sector jobs across all counties.
The legislation helps counteract ethnic bias in recruitment of employees, a persistent issue where some counties have been found to have an overwhelming majority of staff from the locally dominant ethnic community. It ensures that merit, not ethnic background, is a key consideration in recruitment and promotion processes.
Additionally, personnel from diverse backgrounds possess rich experiences and perspectives that could better comprehend and address the different needs of a diverse population, possibly leading to more effective and inclusive public service delivery.
By imposing this regulation, the government endeavors to create a public service that is representative of the entire Kenyan population, in line with the principles of the Constitution of Kenya like high standards of professional ethics, integrity, and accountability, alongside the efficient, equitable, and impartial provision of services.
In attendance were Mary Kimonye (PSC Vice Chairperson), Jacqueline Manani (Deputy Commission Secretary-Legal Services), Boya Molu PSC Commissioner, John Njorio PSC Director, Uasin Gishu County Deputy Governor Evans Kapkea and others.
By Ekuwam Sylvester
