Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned public office holders against making appointments based on tribal or ethnic considerations, saying public positions should not be used to advance the interests of particular communities.Uhuru made the remarks on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, during the handover of Jubilee Party leadership to former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i. The former President also praised Matiang’i for his performance while serving in previous Cabinet positions.
Questioning the practice of appointing people based on their ethnic backgrounds, Uhuru asked whether Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries are appointed to serve particular communities or the country as a whole.“Ati kama wewe ni Waziri ama wewe ni PS na umepewa kazi uandike watu wa kabila yako. Sasa hiyo ni kusema nini? Umewekwa Waziri kwa sababu ya kabila?” Uhuru said.
His remarks came amid renewed attention to statements attributed to Kimilili Member of Parliament Didmus Barasa, who has urged public officials from Western Kenya to consider members of their communities when making appointments.In an undated video cited in reports, Barasa said officials from Western Kenya appointed to senior government positions should use those positions to address what he described as the interests of their communities.
“Ukipatiwa nafasi kubwa kama ni PS, ama wewe ni waziri, kama wewe ni ambassador, kama wewe ni chairman ya parastatal, na wewe unatoka mkoa wa magharibi, wewe jua nafasi hiyo ni ya jamii. Umepewa utumie kuhakikisha maswala na maslahi ya wananchi hawa,” Barasa said.Barasa also appeared to urge officials involved in recruitment to favour applicants from Western Kenya while rejecting candidates from other ethnic communities.
He gave an example of a job interview involving an applicant from Nyeri whom he identified as Kamau. Barasa suggested that an interviewer from Western Kenya could give reasons to reject such a candidate, even if the applicant was qualified and performed well during the interview.“Hata ukiwa kwa ofisi na unafanya interview, na unakuta mtu ametoka huko Nyeri, anaitwa Kamau, na amekuja mbele yako, na ako na suti mzuri kabisa anaongea kizungu kubwa, wewe kama mwenye kusimamia interview na unatoka mkoa wa magharibi unaandika summary unasema…” Barasa said.
He further suggested that applicants whom officials considered to be from Western Kenya should receive favourable consideration during recruitment.Barasa argued that failure to favour people from the communities he referred to had contributed to their lack of development.The remarks have since attracted the attention of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), which has summoned Barasa over the alleged statements.
According to the NCIC, the summons followed investigations into remarks the MP allegedly made in Sirisia Constituency, Bungoma County, on September 19, 2026. The commission said Barasa is expected to appear before it on September 29, 2026, at 10 a.m. at its offices in Nairobi.The commission has also warned that failure to appear at the scheduled hearing could result in the issuance of an arrest warrant.
The exchange has brought the question of ethnic considerations in public appointments back into the national conversation, particularly as political activity intensifies ahead of the 2027 General Election.Uhuru’s remarks came as Jubilee Party underwent a leadership transition, with Matiang’i taking over the party leadership following a court ruling that affected the former President’s continued occupation of a formal party position. Uhuru has, however, indicated that he will remain a member of Jubilee.
The developments have placed renewed focus on the responsibility of public officials to ensure that recruitment and appointments are conducted without discrimination and that public positions serve the interests of the wider Kenyan population.
By Brian Angwenyi and Martha Kwamboka
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