Ogiek leaders appeal for more public service jobs

Nominated Senator victor Prengei. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The Ogiek leaders claimed that many qualified youths from minority groups were discriminated against during employment of public servants.

  • The leaders called on County Public Service Boards to also give the minority communities opportunities whenever there are job vacancies.

  • Apart from Ogiek, other minority communities include the Endorois, Sengwer, Ilchamus, El Molo and Boni.

Members of the Ogiek community have appealed to the Public Service Commission (PSC) to give youth from minority communities first priority during the hiring of civil servants.

Led by Nominated Senator Victor Prengei, the leaders on Saturday said that they were preparing a comprehensive data bank of all qualified Ogiek youths which they will present to the commission.

The leaders claimed that many qualified youths from minority groups were discriminated against during employment of public servants.

“Many of the counties are yet to give members of the minority communities opportunities and that is why as Ogiek, we have come up with a data bank of all the youth. We are asking PSC to consider the youth who are qualified so that they can improve their living standards like the rest of Kenyans,” said Mr Prengei.

GRADUATES

He added: “Unlike ion the past, today the Ogiek community has graduates who should be given equal opportunities so as to motivate their colleagues in schools and higher institutions of learning.”

The leaders raised a red flag over the increasing numbers of imposters posing as Ogiek in order to gain employment in the public and private sectors.

“There many imposters using Ogiek for their own selfish gains and that is why we have come up with a data bank to weed out impostors,” said Mr Prengei.

IMPOSTORS

The leaders called on County Public Service Boards to also give the minority communities opportunities whenever there are job vacancies.

Apart from Ogiek, other minority communities include the Endorois, Sengwer, Ilchamus, El Molo and Boni.

Other Ogiek leaders who alleged that their community was being discriminated included the chairman of the Ogiek Council of Elders Mr Joseph Towett and Kennedy Tegeret. Others were Mr Daniel Kobei, Mr Mopel Sena, Ms Sophy Tanki, Ms Regina Saitoti and Mr Namunyak Sulunye.

In the past, PSC has faced challenges in identifying the genuine minority group members due to the large number of impostors.