The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has been put on the spot by the National Assembly for ignoring constitutional requirements on inclusivity and diversity in its workforce.
Lawmakers accused the agency of perpetuating ethnic imbalance and sidelining special interest groups in employment.
While appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Cohesion and Equal Opportunities on Friday, AFA Director General Bruno Linyiri admitted that the Authority has been operating without a human resource manual since it was formed in 2013, making it difficult to comply with staffing laws.
“The Authority has never had a human resource manual since inception. Our staff were only deployed. We have not employed directly. However, we received the necessary HR framework this year and plan to recruit while addressing irregularities flagged by the Auditor General,” Linyiri said.
The committee, chaired by Duncan Mathenge of Nyeri Town, criticised the Authority over reports showing that two ethnic groups account for 94 and 84 per cent of staff respectively.
“This is unacceptable. AFA does not reflect the face of Kenya,” Mathenge stated.
Members also faulted the agency for discriminating against People Living with Disabilities (PLWDs). Kamkunji legislator Yusuf Hassan said the Authority’s failure to employ PLWDs on equal terms was a “serial violation of the Constitution”, noting that most of them were only hired as casuals.
“Your argument that lack of experience locks out PLWDs is discriminatory. How will they gain experience if they are never given opportunities?” he asked.
Narok North MP Agnes Pareyio and Nakuru County’s Liza Chelule urged AFA to work with legislators to identify qualified PLWDs from their constituencies, saying credible data is already available at the grassroots level.
Other MPs, including Joshua Oron (Kisumu Central), Martin Owino (Ndhiwa), and Dick Maungu (Luanda), argued that the absence of an HR manual had allowed the Authority’s management to evade employment laws.
Beyond the staffing issues, legislators challenged AFA to play a more active role in empowering marginalised groups economically. Nominated MP Denar Hamisi suggested that the Authority should act as guarantors for special interest groups seeking loans, just as other state agencies have done.
Mathenge directed the Authority to ensure its next recruitment exercise addresses ethnic imbalance while also providing fair opportunities for women, youth and PLWDs.
“This is your chance to correct the anomalies and align with the constitutional principle of inclusivity,” he told Linyiri.