80 agencies hired more men than women - PSC

At least 80 state agencies have hired more men than women against the gender balance principle required by the constitution.

Parliament has been the face of this injustice, amid several botched attempts to balance the number of women and men.

The law provides that not more than two-thirds of staff in any government body should be of the same gender.

A review by the commission on gender balance established that 14 per cent of government agencies were in breach of the rule.

It was also established that the two-thirds gender threshold was not met in the constitution of boards of state corporations.

The PSC reports in the December 2024 review that at least 41 TVETs had not met the two-thirds gender requirement.

Worse scenarios were in hardship areas, where some technical training institutes had no women holding positions.

Wajir East Technical Vocational College had 100 per cent men, so was Loima, Lamu East, and Tarbaj TVCs.

“Those who are yet to attain the two-thirds gender principle at all levels are required to implement the prescribed affi rmative action programme ( 2 024/25 – 2026/27 ) proposed for their institution by the commission,” the compliance report reads.

The Kenya Ports Authority is among entities called out for breaching the gender as its 6,225 staff comprise 77 per cent men and 23 per cent women. Kenya Power also failed the gender test, with its 8,214 male staff against 2,219 females.

Overall, men dominated the agencies in the transport sector.

The Kenya Wildlife Service was also fl agged after it emerged that women accounted for only 20 per cent of its workforce.

Kenya Urban Roads Authority, Kenya Petroleum Refineries, Kenya Forest Service, Ketraco, KenGen, Kenya National Shipping Line and the ICT Authority also fell short of the gender requirement.

The Geothermal Development Corporation was also flagged alongside Garissa University, East Africa Portland Cement Company, Coast Water Works Development Agency, Assets Recovery Agency, Agro-Chemical and Food Company, and Agricultural Development Corporation.

Other notable names in the list include Muhoroni and Chemilili Sugar companies, Sony Sugar, Northern Water Works, Numerical Machining Complex, and several technical colleges.

Internal Security, Public Works and Roads departments were also found in breach of the two-thirds gender balance rule. 

The PSC noted that the public service doesn’t have balanced gender representation, comprising 139,529 ( 60.2 per cent) male and 92,301 ( 39.81 per cent) female.

Even so, the commission says the entities should aim at achieving a perfect balance of halves for each gender. “It is recommended that the institutions which have not attained the two-thirds gender principle work towards the attainment of gender parity at 50:50,” PSC said.

The commission says the aim is to fulfil the Convention Against Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which is a state obligation.

The commission further wants public institutions to adopt the three-year affirmative action programme it had prescribed to promote two-thirds gender representation.

“The TVETIs that had not met the two-thirds gender representation threshold to develop and implement affirmative action program to redress the gaps by June 30, 2025,” the PSC directed.

Public institutions are required to provide 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 PWDs.

Statutory commissions and authorities emerged as almost attaining the 50:50 gender balance, with 1,084 male staff against 1,090 females.

Public universities had 16,148 males – translating to 58 per cent against - 11,704 females, being a representation of 42 per cent.