Almost 70 per cent of employees at Kenya National Highways Authority are male, a report by the road agency to Parliament’s National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity Committee shows.
The report showed male employees are 350 (67.44 per cent) while female staff are 169 (32.56 per cent).
“The gender profile of most engineering graduates from learning institutions are male, which predetermines candidates for jobs at Kenha,” the agency said.
Kenha cited a shortage of skills and competence in targeted groups as it seeks to enhance the diversity of employees.
“Applicants from the disadvantaged groups who submit their candidature for vacant positions fail to meet the required minimum requirements leading to the disqualification from the recruitment process,” it said.
Kenha said external recruitment remains the most effective method of enhancing staff diversity.
“However, the authority continues to experience minimal response to external vacancy advertisements with most applicants being from the majority groups in terms of ethnicity and gender,” director general Kung’u Ndung’u said.
The agency said it has taken deliberate action to increase the representation of people with disability by posting advertisements at offices of the National Council for People with Disabilities and in its regional offices.
Ndungu’s assured the committee it is committed to fair recruitment practices that are based on the principles of merit and guided by integrity and equity.
“The authority will therefore pursue equal opportunity employment practices to ensure that all employees are treated fairly and equitably,” he said.
Kenha also committed to invoking affirmative action to raise the representation of people from marginalised areas, female gender and people with disabilities.
The report showed staff from the Kikuyu community are the majority at 128 followed by Luo (96), Kalenjin (79), Luhya (57), Kisii (43), Kamba (38) and Meru (22).
Kenha said it has been reserving procurement opportunities worth not less than 30 per cent of the authority’s procurement budget for disadvantaged groups in compliance with the law.
It however said most of the bidders belonging to the special groups have been having challenges in preparing and submitting responsive bids.
It added that most bidders from the special groups are also inexperienced in contract management.