The Kenya Pipeline Corporation has employed 13 people out of 33 staffers from one community in the last two months.
A memo sent out by the parastatal’s Human Resources Department and signed by Henry Lenairos confirms the appointments.
The 13 Kalenjins constitute 40 per cent of those hired, which is against the law.
“The following persons have been offered new permanent appointments in the company as technicians Class III in the operations department and they are expected to report to their respective workstations once they are through with their induction program, which is currently ongoing,†says the memo seen by the Star.
According to Article 232 of the Constitution, which addresses the values and principles of the public service, all public institutions are required to hire competent Kenyans from diverse communities.
Kenya is a multi-ethnic state with about 42 different tribes.
“The values and principles of public service include representation of diverse communities and affording adequate and equal opportunities for appointment, training and advancement, at all levels of the public service, of men and women; members of all ethnic groups; and persons with disabilities,” says Article 232 of the Constitution.
The National Cohesion and Integration Act further requires that all government department respect the requirement and cannot therefore hire more than 25 per cent of employees from one community.
“A recruitment policy based purely on merit or competition may not give Kenyans a public service that represents the face of the country. Disparities in education, infrastructure and imbalances in development generally mean that some communities are more likely to produce highly skilled people than others,” says part of the Ethnic Diversity and Audit of the Civil Service report published four years ago by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.
This is not the first time the KPC managers have been accused of tribalism and nepotism.
Last year, the KPC Board fired its Managing Director, Selest Kilinda, after he was accused of employing his relatives and allowing his managers to do the same. Kilinda was replaced by Charles Tanui (pictured).
Those employed under Tanui are technicians who have been deployed to Manyani, Konza, Makindu, Embakasi, Samburu, Sultan Hamud, Mtito Andei, Maungu, Moi Airport, Kipevu, Kisumu and Nakuru.
-Star Newspaper