MPs committee grills NLC CEO over alleged ethnic bias in employment » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 15 -The National Assembly Committee on Cohesion and Equal Opportunities has questioned National Lands Commission (NLC) Chief Executive Officer, Kabale Arero, over allegations of favouring members of her ethnic community in staff recruitment at the expense of other marginalised groups.

During a session chaired by Adan Yussuf Haji, the Committee accused Arero of influencing the hiring process to disproportionately benefit the Borana community, where she hails from.

Mwingi North MP Paul Nzengu alleged that Ms. Arero, who previously served as the NLC Human Resource Manager before her appointment as CEO, ensured employment slots meant for marginalised groups were mainly awarded to the Borana.

“You have told the Committee that you served as HR Manager for five years before becoming CEO. That explains why the Borana community got the lion’s share of opportunities,” Nzengu stated.

And added: “We are not opposed to Boranas being employed, but other communities deserve equal opportunities.”

Arero appeared before the Committee to address concerns over ethnic diversity in recruitment and compliance with the legal requirement to reserve 30 percent of procurement opportunities for special interest groups.

She however came under further scrutiny when her report revealed that only one percent of NLC staff were Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs).

Out of the commission’s 628 employees, just seven were PLWDs, a figure lawmakers described as a gross violation of inclusive hiring laws.

“This is discrimination of the highest order,” said Kisumu Central MP Dr. Joshua Oron even as Nakuru County MP Hon. Liza Chelule rejected Ms. Arero’s explanation that PLWDs rarely apply for advertised positions.

“We are not convinced by your reasoning. You should collaborate with MPs’ offices and organisations such as the Council for PLWDs to identify and recruit qualified candidates. These stakeholders have the necessary data to help you comply with the law,” Hon. Chelule asserted.

In her defence, Arero denied claims of ethnic bias, assuring the Committee that gaps in diversity would be addressed in the upcoming recruitment cycle.

While commending the CEO for ensuring compliance with the 30 percent procurement reservation, Hon. Haji urged her to urgently correct shortcomings in ethnic representation and the hiring of PLWDs.

In a related session chaired by Nyeri Town MP Hon. Duncan Mathenge, Garissa University Vice Chancellor Prof. Ahmed Osman Warfa was also questioned over alleged ethnic imbalance in staff recruitment, with claims that members of the Somali community dominated employment at the institution.

Prof. Warfa defended the trend, citing security concerns that discouraged applicants from other communities following the 2015 Al-Shabaab attack that claimed the lives of students and staff.

The Committee, however, dismissed this justification, arguing that security in the region had significantly improved to allow for a more inclusive workforce.