The Senate Standing Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration has faulted the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) for failing to provide adequate documentation to support claims of inclusive hiring within the agency.

Speaking on Monday, July 14, 2025, during a session at Parliament Buildings, Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute, who chairs the committee, led members in interrogating KNBS Director General Macdonald Obudho over the demographic composition of the bureau’s workforce.

The lawmakers raised questions about the agency’s representation of Kenya’s diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity, age, and the inclusion of persons with disabilities.

The committee also scrutinized KNBS’s compliance with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act (Cap 412C), particularly its affirmative action obligations.

Director defends policy

Obudho said KNBS had implemented recruitment strategies to ensure no more than two-thirds of staff are of the same gender, with at least five percent comprising persons with disabilities.

He added that diversity and equity were central to the bureau’s human resource strategy.

But senators were not convinced, citing a lack of detailed supporting documents and calling the response insufficient.

Committee not satisfied

“The committee finds the documentation inadequate. We cannot verify your claims without data,” Senator Chute said, directing the Director General to submit a comprehensive gender mainstreaming policy within seven days.

The committee also demanded data showing the percentage of youth, men, women, and persons with disabilities employed at the bureau.

The committee stressed that national institutions like KNBS must lead by example in enforcing inclusivity and equitable representation across public service.

KNBS, established under the Statistics Act Cap 112, is tasked with collecting, analyzing, and disseminating official national data. It also coordinates the National Statistical System.

The probe marks part of a broader Senate effort to enforce constitutional values of inclusivity and equality in public institutions.