The National Assembly Committee on Cohesion and Equal Opportunities questioned managers of four government agencies on the ethnic imbalance in staff recruitment.

The Committee, during a meeting chaired by Mandera West, Yusuf Adan Haji, held accountability meetings with the Chief Executive Officers of Lake Victoria South Water Development Agency and Lake Basin Development Authority.

Other agencies that faced the House Committee included the Lake Victoria North Water Works Development Agency, Rivatex East Africa, and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Haji pointed out that the meetings were a follow-up of similar ones they held with the agencies and directed them to deal with disparities in ethnic balance in employment as required by the law.

“We have invited the managers of the agencies to make a follow-up on whether they have complied with the law on ethnic balance and the provision of equal opportunities in the state-owned agencies,” said Haji.

Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency (LVSWWDA) CEO Ms. Jackline Kemunto was tasked with why she did not comply with the law that required that at least five percent of staff should be people living with disabilities (PLWDs).

Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge wondered why the agency declined to provide job opportunities to PLWDs.

“The last report you presented to the Committee showed you were moving upwards in complying with the law, but the latest report has indicated a decline,” said Mathenge.

Teso North MP, Oku Kaunya, dismissed Ms. Kemunto’s claims that they could not employ PLWDs because they did not apply for jobs whenever they advertised.

“How far did the advertisements for jobs for PLWDs reach? Did you use the mediums that they could access easily?” posed the Teso North MP.

Kaunya and Mathenge called on the agencies to invoke affirmative action in the recruitment of PLWDs to be able to meet the requirements of the law.

The Lake Basin Development Authority CEO, Mr. Wycliffe Ochianga, was turned away by the Committee after he tabled documents bearing unconvincing evidence.

Lake Victoria North Works Water Development Agency CEO Mr Joel Wamalwa and Rivatex Managing Director Prof Thomas Kipkurgat were also taken to task by Members on compliance with the law on procurement, employment of youths and PLWDs, and ethnic balance.

But it is the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) CEO, Dr. Philip Kirwa, who ran into trouble with the Committee after it was revealed that 70 percent of staff in the institution were from one tribe.

During a session chaired by Mwingi North MP, Eng. Paul Nzengu, MPs expressed their disappointment that the management of the national medical facility had turned it into a tribal institution.

The Committee threatened to push for the sending of the management of MTRH home if they were not ready to comply with the law on employment.

“It is shocking that Eldoret city, the home for MTRH, being a cosmopolitan urban area member of many tribes living there, was denied jobs by the management of the hospital,” said Nzengu.

Kaspul MP, Charles Were noted with concern that one community-dominated promotion in the hospital.

“How do you explain a situation where out of more than 600 promotion opportunities, one community got 90 percent?” posed Were.

Other MPs who questioned the failure of Dr. Kirwa to ensure the hospital complied with the law included Charles Kamuren (Baringo South), Mary Maingi (Mwea), Onesimus Ngogoyo (Kajiado North), Mathenge, Fred Ikana (Shinyalu), and Irene Mayaka (nominated).