Mombasa has the most ethnically inclusive staff

NCIC Chairman Francis ole Kaparo (left) and the Parliamentary Committee on National Cohesion Chairman Johnson Sakaja during a retreat at Sarova Whitesands hotel in Mombasa on Saturday. [PHOTO: KELVIN KARANI/STANDARD]

Mombasa, Kenya - Most of the employees at Mombasa County are non-natives, a new audit report by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission NCIC indicates.

 

The report shows that four counties from Coast are among the 18 most inclusive and non-discriminatory in employment policies.

With a population of 939,370 from the 2009 census, Mombasa has 6 sub-counties with residents from 33 tribes of Kenya.

It is also the country's smallest county after Vihiga but has employed from all the tribes including the Samburu, Teso, Nubi, Maasai, Goan and Burji tribes.

Despite inheriting staff from the defunct Mombasa Municipal Council, the report published on Saturday and bearing information updated up to April 1 this year, shows that Mombasa, Tana River,Taita Taveta and Lamu counties have been inclusive and pursued affirmative action to include as many groups as possible after the new county administrations came to power in March 2013.

While most counties purported that inheritance of staff from defunct local authorities is factor to their non-compliance with legal obligations of diversity, the report says most of the county governments adopted policies that filled new posts with dominant tribes and perpetuated pre-existing exclusion.

The report shows that the County Government Act requires the governor to promote democracy, good governance, unity and cohesion including in the composition of their cabinets and public service.

It notes that the administration of Governor Hassan Ali Joho has complied with relevant laws with a cabinet of 11 comprising six Christians and five Muslims with three ethnic Miji Kenda, two Kikuyu, two Somali and one each from the Luo, Bajun, Arab and Swahili tribes.

The report says the county's service board has six members from four tribes with three Swahili, One each from the Miji Kenda, Arab and Luo.