Lawmakers have raised concern over the persistent failure by state agencies to meet the constitutional requirement of employing Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), saying that public institutions are deliberately sidelining the group in recruitment.

In a statement shared on Saturday, August 16, 2025, Parliament said the National Assembly Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity, chaired by Mandera North MP Yussuf Adan Haji, flagged the matter during meetings held on Friday with top officials from four state corporations to assess workforce diversity.

“The National Assembly Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity has expressed concern over the low number of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) employed in State agencies,” the statement reads.

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.

Data presented to the committee revealed that none of the three agencies had reached the 5% constitutional threshold for employing PWDs. According to the submissions, KeNHA had the highest representation with 11 employees with disabilities out of 474 staff (2.3%), followed by GDC with 20 out of 904 (2%), while KeRRA had only 9 out of 690 (1.3%).

“It emerged that none of the agencies had met the constitutional requirement of reserving at least 5% of jobs for PWDs,” Parliament stated.

Haji expressed disappointment with the statistics, warning that continued exclusion of PWDs from employment opportunities in public institutions was unacceptable.

“It is very sad that PWDs are still excluded from employment in key State agencies despite the Constitution stipulating that 5% of positions be set aside for them,” Haji said.

He further cautioned that state bodies must adhere to the law.

“State bodies should lead by example and meet at least the minimum threshold. The Committee will not take it kindly if the marginalisation continues,” he added.

When pressed to explain the low figures, the agencies cited challenges such as limited applications from PWDs, lack of adequate qualifications among some candidates, and minimal new recruitment in recent years as most staff were seconded from parent ministries.

“The agencies cited a low number of applicants from underrepresented groups, inadequate qualifications among candidates, and limited recent recruitment, with many staff seconded from parent ministries,” Parliament reported.