Recent audits by the Office of the Auditor-General (Kenya) and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission have revealed significant ethnic imbalances in recruitment across Kenya’s public universities.
The Auditor-General’s report indicates that 19 out of 42 public universities have hiring patterns that favor particular ethnic groups, with staff composition often dominated by communities living around the institutions.
Universities with High Ethnic Concentration
At Koitalel Samoei University College, about 73 percent of employees belong to the Kalenjin community.
Similarly, Rongo University shows a comparable pattern, with 72 percent of staff drawn from the Luo community.
Other institutions showing similar trends include:
University of Kabianga
Mama Ngina University College
Kaimosi Friends University
In these universities, around 70 percent of employees come from the dominant ethnic group in the surrounding region.
Only Few Universities Meet Legal Requirements
The NCIC carried out a broader review involving 27,596 employees across 40 universities.
The commission found that only 11 institutions currently meet the requirements of the National Cohesion and Integration Act, which requires fair representation of Kenya’s diverse communities in public service.
According to the report, six ethnic groups—Kikuyu, Kalenjin, Luo, Luhya, Kamba, and Kisii—hold nearly 86 percent of university positions, leaving the remaining 29 communities sharing just 14 percent of the jobs.
Smaller communities such as the Gabra, Ilchamus, Rendille, Aweer (Watta), Dorobo, and Sakuye reportedly have little or no representation in university employment.
Leadership Influence on Hiring Patterns
The audit also noted a strong link between university leadership and hiring trends.
In roughly half of the institutions reviewed, the ethnic background of the vice-chancellor closely matched the dominant ethnic group among employees.
Universities cited for notable ethnic concentration include:
Moi University
Maseno University
Kisii University
Dedan Kimathi University of Technology
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology
The findings have renewed calls for stricter enforcement of diversity requirements in public institutions to ensure equal representation of Kenya’s many ethnic communities in employment opportunities.
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