How ethnicity shapes recruitment in public universities

Kenya’s public universities, long envisioned as engines of national unity, social mobility, and intellectual excellence, are quietly grappling with entrenched ethnic patterns in staffing.

While Section 7(2) of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) Act explicitly prohibits any single ethnic group from occupying more than one-third of positions in public institutions, this has gone on deaf ears.

Report conducted by the commission between 2016 and 2025 reveal that while some universities have made progress, many remain dominated by local communities, with disparities visible across job cadres from senior management to junior staff.

At Embu University, the workforce demonstrates both progress and structural imbalance. Kikuyu occupy (23.11 percent) and Embu (22.88 percent) which are within the legal thresholds.

However, in senior management, it reveals that leadership is concentrated by Kikuyu at (30.56 percent), Meru (25), and Embu (13.89).

Minority groups, including Kamba, Luo, and Kalenjin, are represented at only 2.78 percent each.

Junior cadres are more diverse, encompassing 14 ethnic groups. Between 2016 and 2025, Embu increased its represented communities from 10 to 14, reflecting deliberate inclusion strategies.

Multimedia University of Kenya (MMU) in Nairobi shows a broader national representation in percentage.

Kikuyu (23.83), Luo (16.58), Luhya (14.77), Kisii (11.66), Kalenjin (9.84), Meru (8.81), and Kamba (8.55) are all present.

While MMU remains compliant overall, the number of represented groups has dropped slightly from 14 to 13, hinting at declining opportunities for smaller communities.

The senior cadre demonstrates narrower diversity, suggesting that leadership composition is a persistent challenge even in compliant institutions.

National Defence University–Kenya (NDU-K), chartered in 2021, has only 20 employees. While junior and middle levels are diverse, the senior cadre is heavily dominated by Kikuyu (66.67) and Kamba (33.33), clearly violating the NCI Act.

Similarly, Tharaka University, chartered in 2022, shows 50 percent Meru representation at senior level and [38.67] at junior level, exceeding legal thresholds despite a compliant general workforce.

These cases illustrate that meeting NCI limits at the general staff level does not automatically ensure equity in leadership.

Among older and larger universities, Egerton University demonstrates balanced staffing across all cadres.

Its workforce includes Kikuyu (25.52), Kalenjin (25.21), Luo (14.64), Luhya (13.18), and Kisii (10.27), with 21 ethnic groups represented up from 17 in 2016.

Even senior-level positions remain diverse, with no single community exceeding 18 percent. The institution shows that broad ethnic representation is achievable without compromising merit-based hiring.

Six ethnic communities of Kikuyu, Kalenjin, Luo, Luhya, Kamba, and Kisii occupy 85.7 per cent of all university positions.

Extreme cases include Koitalel arap Samoei University College (77.14 per cent Kalenjin), Kibabii University (76.4 percent Luhya), and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (73.59 percent Luo).

Only 11 universities, including the University of Nairobi, Pwani University, Chuka University, and Technical University of Mombasa fully meet NCI Act thresholds across all cadres.

Flagship universities, however, present a fairer picture with the University of Nairobi (UoN) having Kikuyu staff constitute 28.46 percent, with 29 ethnic groups represented. Senior staff are 27.21 percent Kikuyu, and middle-level 31.72 percent.

Compliance is maintained across all cadres, highlighting how large urban institutions achieve broader representation.

At Kenyatta University, Kikuyu dominance at 32 percent nears the legal threshold, particularly in senior leadership, raising concerns about persistent ethnic influence in promotions.

Maseno University: Luhya staff comprise 41 percent, with junior and middle cadres underrepresented by non-local communities.

Compliance remains a challenge with Egerton University having 28.83 percent Kikuyu and 19.71 percent Kalenjin among middle-level staff, Egerton demonstrates broad ethnic inclusion and meets NCI requirements.

Moi University, which has had unending tribal wars, has Kalenjin staff dominate senior and middle levels, exceeding the one-third threshold. Ethnic concentration has worsened since 2016.

At JKUAT, Kikuyu staff comprise 29 percent of total employees, with other communities well represented, ensuring compliance and illustrating that technical universities can maintain balance while hiring on merit.

Leadership patterns strongly influence staffing trends. In about half of universities, the vice chancellor’s ethnicity mirrors that of the majority workforce, reinforcing implicit or explicit hiring bias.

Staff insiders confirm that senior leaders often recruit from familiar ethnic networks. “When the top leadership comes from one community, you can almost predict who gets hired.

It’s rarely about merit; it’s about familiarity,” said one anonymous staff member.

Gender and disability representation also highlight inequities. Male vice chancellors account for 77.5 percent of heads, while persons with disabilities constitute only 2.1 percent of staff, far below the constitutional 5 percent mandate.

While gender balance is broadly maintained among general staff (57.91 per cent male, 42.09 per cent female), male dominance at the top underscores persistent barriers to equitable leadership.

Many universities inherited staff from teacher training colleges or constituent campuses, perpetuating historical ethnic compositions.

Rural universities often hire locally, citing cost considerations, social cohesion, and security risks.

For instance, Garissa University continues to face low applications from outside the Somali community following the 2015 terror attack, while University of Eldoret struggles with perceptions linked to past election-related violence.

Naming practices also reinforce local identity; Kisii University, Meru University of Science and Technology, Maasai Mara University, and Turkana University College reflect strong regional ties that can deter national recruitment.

Some universities have adopted deliberate strategies to comply with the NCI Act. Pwani University shows 32.46 percent Mijikenda staff, within legal limits, with no single group dominating any cadre.

Chuka University expanded representation from 10 groups in 2016 to 18 in 2025, reducing Meru dominance from 53.1to 30.18 percent. These cases demonstrate that deliberate recruitment policies can foster inclusion and diversity.

Experts warn that ethnic homogeneity undermines universities’ capacity for intellectual growth and innovation.

“When students and staff come from similar cultural backgrounds, it narrows intellectual discourse and discourages dissenting views. Universities must reflect Kenya’s diversity to truly serve as spaces of learning and critical thinking,” said Prof. Kennedy Oloo, a higher education researcher.

Legal frameworks offer a strong foundation for reform. Article 232 of the Constitution mandates that public institutions reflect Kenya’s ethnic composition.

The Universities Act (No. 42 of 2024) and Vision 2030 reinforce inclusive employment, while Section 7(2) of the NCI Act limits any ethnic group to one-third of staff. With enforcement, universities can transition from ethnic enclaves to inclusive institutions.

The 2025 audit offers both a warning and a path forward. While deep-rooted ethnic favoritism persists in institutions such as Kisii, MMUST, Karatina, and Meru, larger urban universities like UoN and JKUAT illustrate that diversity is achievable.

NCIC Chairperson Dr Samuel Kobia said public universities must rise above tribal enclaves to become true laboratories of learning, innovation, and national cohesion.

“Universities must be laboratories of national unity. They cannot preach inclusion to students while practicing exclusion in their hiring. The challenge is no longer simply increasing the number of universities but ensuring that they embody the nation’s diversity,” said Kobia