NAIROBI, Kenya – The National Assembly has criticized state corporations for failing to comply with the constitutional requirement that at least five per cent of jobs be reserved for persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The Assembly’s Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity said the law is being ignored despite clear provisions designed to promote inclusion in public employment.
In a statement on Saturday, August 16, 2025, Parliament said the committee, chaired by Mandera North MP Yussuf Adan Haji, made the findings during a review of workforce diversity with officials from key state agencies a day earlier.
Appearing before the committee were Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) Director General Jackson Magondu, Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) Acting Director General Luka Kimeli, and Geothermal Development Company (GDC) Managing Director Paul Ngugi.
Corporations Fall Short of Quota
Data presented during the sessions showed that none of the three corporations met the constitutional threshold.
KeNHA recorded the highest inclusion rate with 11 PWDs out of 474 employees (2.3 per cent), followed by GDC with 20 out of 904 (two per cent). KeRRA trailed with just 9 PWDs out of 690 workers (1.3 per cent).
“It emerged that none of the agencies had met the constitutional requirement of reserving at least five per cent of jobs for PWDs,” Parliament said.
Yussuf described the statistics as evidence of continued discrimination in state employment, stressing that public bodies must set the standard in upholding the law.
“It is very sad that PWDs are still excluded from employment in key state agencies despite the Constitution stipulating that five per cent of positions be set aside for them,” he said.
He warned that the committee would not allow non-compliance to persist: “State bodies should lead by example and meet at least the minimum threshold. The committee will not take it kindly if the marginalisation continues.”
Agencies Cite Challenges
When pressed to explain the shortfall, the agencies pointed to challenges such as low applications from PWDs, limited qualifications among some candidates, and reduced recruitment in recent years, with many staff seconded from parent ministries.
The committee, however, maintained that excuses could not justify the failure to implement constitutional requirements.
