The Local Authorities Provident Fund (LAPFUND) has come under scrutiny from the Senate over issues of inclusivity, ethnic diversity, and adherence to constitutional requirements in its operations.

Appearing before the Senate Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity, and Regional Integration, LAPFUND Chief Executive Officer Benard Mbogoh was questioned on the Fund’s efforts to ensure fair representation of women, youth, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and minority groups.

The Committee, chaired by Marsabit Senator Mohamed Said Chute, acknowledged LAPFUND’s progress in gender balance, with women making up 54.1% of the Fund’s 137 staff members.

However, senators raised concern over its failure to meet the 5% legal threshold for employing persons with disabilities, noting the current figure stood at only 1.46%.

In response, Mbogoh stated that LAPFUND had taken deliberate steps to address the disparity.

“We have introduced mentorship programmes, implemented disability mainstreaming policies, trained our staff in sign language, and made infrastructural adjustments to accommodate persons with disabilities,” he said.

The Fund also defended its performance in procurement, revealing that it had exceeded the required 30% allocation to disadvantaged groups in the past three financial years. It recorded compliance levels of 50.94%, 30%, and 47% respectively.

Despite this, the Committee referred to a 2023 report by the National Assembly, which highlighted ongoing shortcomings in representing persons with disabilities within LAPFUND.

Another major concern was the Fund’s ethnic composition. Senators noted that three ethnic groups, Kalenjin (22%), Kikuyu (20%), and Luo (11%), account for more than half of LAPFUND’s employees. This sparked questions on whether recruitment processes at the Fund reflect the country’s diversity.

Mbogoh maintained that LAPFUND hires based on merit and follows equal opportunity principles. “We do not consider ethnic backgrounds during recruitment or promotions,” he said. However, he failed to provide any documents to back his claims.

Unconvinced, the Committee directed Mbogoh to reappear before it within a week, with detailed documentation to support his statements on inclusivity and diversity.

Senator Chute reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to ensuring that all public institutions operate within constitutional and legal guidelines on equality, inclusivity, and fairness.