Motion passed in Kiambu County to ensure firms hire 70% locals

Kiambu County has passed a motion that requires public and private institutions and businesses to hire 70% of their workforce from local dominant communities.

In a bid to ensure more employment is available for local people Antony Ikonya, Majority Leader, moved the motion.

Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) announced that the county will execute staff audits within organisations to ensure the new regulation is followed.

MCAs also revealed the consequence for companies that do not comply, or correct their mistake once warned, will have their operating licences revoked.

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According to the assembly, most of the available jobs in the county were going to “outsiders”.

Mr Ikonya noted that provisions of Article 65 (1) € of the County Government Act state that the dominant ethnic community of a location are to benefit from 70% of available jobs, which was not the case for Kimbu.

“I note with a lot of concern that Kiambu County has been generous…very generous (with employment) to people who are from outside this county to an extent that we do this at the expense of our very own,” said Mr Ikonya.

Public institutions, of which the majority breach the requirement, will also have to follow the regulation.

“Those people who come from outside, we (county) provide infrastructure for them, we do roads, provide water for them and do all the requisite responsibilities of a county government for them but as a county we don’t benefit (and) I think is time we cure that disease.”