5 ethnic groups dominate NSSF

The big five ethnic groups dominate jobs at the National Social Securities Fund (NSSF), squeezing out others from opportunities at the State-controlled investment fund.

An NSSF report tabled in Parliament Wednesday indicates that the Kamba, Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Luo and Luhya control 74.9 percent the 1307 jobs.

This is despite the five groups accounting for 64.9 percent of the total population according to the 2009 census.

Together they hold 980 jobs at the agency, leaving the other 43 ethnic groups to share the remaining 327 slots, or 25 percent, of remaining positions.

“For some reason, the marginalised groups do not apply as much as the adverts encourage all to apply,” NSSF human resource manager Carolyn Okul told National Assembly Committee on National Cohesion.

Kambas account for 17 percent of job positions at the NSSF, followed by Kalenjin at 16.8 percent, Kikuyu at 14.6 percent, Luo at 14.1 percent and Luhya at 12.2 percent. In terms of ratio between the national population and employment proportion in NSSF, Kambas, Kalenjin and Luos are over-represented.

Under the diversity policy for State Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) released in December 2015 by the Public Service Commission, ethnic groups whose job representation surpasses their corresponding national population proportion are considered to be over-represented.

The diversity policy was expected to deal with over-representation by setting hiring quotas for ethnic groups and disadvantaged classes such as the disabled.

Most senior managers at the NSSF are on acting capacity, which MPs noted was a matter of concern since it has a bearing on efficiency at the agency.

“While most senior managers are in acting capacity, they are only 14 compared to the 23 available slots,” said Ms Okul.

The revelation comes at a time the Auditor-General Edward Ouko in his annual general reports noted the NSSF has hit hard ground in projects running into billions of shillings with legal and other barriers occasioned by bad decisions.

Mr Ouko, for example, could not understand why NSSF sold land in November 2011 and only earned a tenth of the sale price without taking action to get the rest of the money paid.