Just seven ethnic communities occupy nearly four out of every five board positions across Kenya’s state corporations, according to a new government audit that has renewed scrutiny over diversity in public appointments.
The findings, published in the 2025 Audit of State Corporation Boards and Top Management by the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC), show that 79 per cent of board members come from seven communities: Kikuyu, Kalenjin, Luhya, Luo, Kisii, Kamba and Meru. The remaining share is spread across more than 30 other ethnic communities.
The report raises fresh questions about how public appointments align with constitutional principles that require fair representation, equality and inclusion in public service.
Seven communities dominate state corporation boards
The Kikuyu community has the largest presence on state corporation boards, with 422 members, representing 22.84 per cent of all appointments. The Kalenjin community follows with 284 members (15.37 per cent), while the Luhya community holds 202 positions, accounting for 10.93 per cent.
The Luo community has 185 board members, or 10.01 per cent of the total, followed by the Kisii community with 146 members (7.9 per cent). The Kamba community occupies 123 seats, representing 6.66 per cent, while the Meru community has 99 members, equivalent to 5.36 per cent.
Together, those seven communities account for almost eight in every 10 board appointments.
Smaller communities remain largely underrepresented
Beyond the leading group, representation falls sharply. The Kenyan-Somali community has 87 board members, representing 4.69 per cent, followed by the Maasai with 58 members, or 3.14 per cent.
The Turkana and Embu communities each have 21 representatives, while Taita has 18. Samburu and Mijikenda each account for 17 board members. Several other communities have fewer than 10 representatives, with some recording only one member on state corporation boards.
The commission said the findings point to persistent disparities in the ethnic composition of public institutions despite constitutional safeguards designed to promote inclusivity.
The audit covered 202 state corporations after the commission requested information from 264 institutions. According to NGEC, 202 organisations responded, representing a response rate of 77 per cent.
Some institutions did not submit data because they were undergoing reforms, mergers or dissolution processes.
The commission collected information on the gender, age, disability status and ethnicity of board members and senior management as of March 2025.
NGEC urges inclusive appointments and constitutional compliance
In response to the findings, NGEC urged appointing authorities to take deliberate steps to ensure state corporation boards better reflect Kenya’s diversity.
The commission called on Cabinet Secretaries to consider gender balance and inclusion when appointing board members, including those serving as their representatives. It said appointments should take account of the existing composition of boards to meet constitutional and legal requirements.
NGEC also urged the State Corporations Advisory Committee (SCAC) to ensure its advice on appointments promotes equality, diversity and compliance with constitutional provisions governing public service.
Further, the commission reminded state corporations of their obligation to uphold the national values and principles of governance under Articles 10 and 232 of the Constitution, observe the two-thirds gender rule under Article 27(8), and implement government policies aimed at expanding representation.
The report also recommends full implementation of the Sesional Paper No. 2 of 2019 on the National Policy on Gender and Development, which seeks to promote balanced representation of women and men in leadership while strengthening inclusion across public institutions.
About the Author
