Senate Questions KNBS Ethnic Hiring Imbalance Violating Diversity Rules

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has come under intense scrutiny by the Senate Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity, and Regional Integration for ethnic imbalance in its hiring practices. Despite constitutional mandates requiring diversity and equitable representation across Kenya's ethnic groups, recent recruitment overwhelmingly favored five communities—Kikuyu, Luo, Luhya, Kamba, and Kalenjin—who already constitute the majority of the bureau's workforce. Of the 506 employees, these five groups make up 354, with none of the 31 new hires representing the 14 excluded ethnic communities. Senators demanded full disclosure of recruitment data and urged KNBS to diversify its hiring to better reflect Kenya’s ethnic diversity, citing legal requirements under the 2010 constitution and the National Cohesion and Integration Act. The KNBS Director-General acknowledged the imbalance but did not specify which groups remain unrepresented, prompting calls for greater transparency and inclusivity. The committee also noted issues with age distribution among staff and emphasized the need to provide opportunities to qualified youth from underrepresented communities.