Six in 10 Moi University staff are Kalenjin, report reveals

Moi University is under fresh scrutiny over its ethnic staffing composition after revelations that the institution is dominated by the Nandi ethnic group and the wider Kalenjin community.

An internal report tabled before the National Assembly Committee on Education reveals that 1,183 out of the 2,058 staff in the institution are Kalenjin.

Nandi alone makes up over a third of Moi University staff, scooping some 737 members of staff. This represents 36 per cent of the total staff.

On the other hand, Kipsigis sub-tribe has 176 members of staff, Keiyo (122), Marakwet (18), Tugen (109), and Sabaot (21)—constituting a total of 1,183 staff members.

In total, the Kalenjin dominance in the institution represents approximately 57.5 per cent of the university’s entire workforce.

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This means that in every 10 members of staff at Moi University, six are from the Kalenjin community, opening serious questions over national ethnic balance composition.

The findings raise important questions about diversity and inclusivity in staffing at one of the oldest public universities. 

Under the NCIC Act (No. 12 of 2008), public institutions are expected to adhere to guidelines that promote ethnic diversity and national cohesion, including the 30 percent ceiling on representation by any one ethnic group. 

With the Nandi alone constituting 36 percent of the university staff, the data suggests a possible violation of this threshold, pending further analysis of cadre-level distributions.

However, the university acting Vice Chancellor, Kiplagat Kotut has defended the institution and argues that the trend is informed by its geographical location.

“The university is situated in a predominantly Kalenjin rural setting. Naturally, proximity plays a key role in recruitment for both teaching and non-teaching staff, especially for lower cadre positions,” the VC explained while appearing before the Julius Melly led education committee of the National Assembly.

Kotut further noted that the university will progressively seek to meet a balanced national outlook.

The report shows that aside from the Kalenjin bloc, other ethnic groups have a significantly lower representation.

The next most represented groups include Kikuyu – 191 staff members or an equivalent of 9 percent of the staff population, closely followed by the Luhya ethnic community of 170 staff or 8 percent.

Luo community has 142 employees, Kamba – 57, Maasai – 17 while Kisii – 90.

Meanwhile, smaller ethnic groups such as Borana, Embu, Somali, Taita, Turkana, Terik, Pokot, and Sabaot have single-digit representation, with some having only one or two staff members.

At the very bottom of the list, ethnicities such as Dorobo, Embu, Samburu, Somali, Suba, Swahili, Taita, Terik, and Turkana each account for less than 1 percent of the workforce, with many having only one staff member.

Two individuals were identified as non-Kenyan nationals—one Egyptian and one Russian.