Wednesday, 2 July, 2025
Local authorities provident fund appears before Senate over inclusivity concerns
Parliament of Kenya 1st June 2025
The Senate Standing Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity, and Regional Integration chaired by Marsabit Senator Mohamed Said Chute, today met the Chief Executive Officer of the Local Authorities Provident Fund (LAPFUND), Mr. Benard Mbogoh, to respond to concerns surrounding inclusivity and compliance with constitutional provisions related to women, youth, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and minority groups.
Established in 1960 under the Local Authorities Provident Fund Act and currently regulated by the Retirement Benefits Act of 1997, LAPFUND has a workforce of 137 employees.
The Committee noted that the Fund had made progress in gender representation, with women accounting for 54.1% of its staff.
However, members were not impressed that the fund had not met the statutory 5% threshold for the inclusion of persons with disabilities, achieving only 1.46%.
To address this gap, LAPFUND assured the Senators that it had implemented various affirmative measures, including mentorship initiatives, disability mainstreaming policies, sign language training for staff, and infrastructure adjustments to enhance accessibility.
On procurement, LAPFUND said it had surpassed the legally required 30% allocation to disadvantaged groups over the past three financial years, recording compliance rates of 50.94%, 30%, and 47%.
Despite these achievements, a 2023 review by the National Assembly flagged persistent shortcomings, particularly regarding the representation of persons with disabilities.
The Committee also expressed concern over the ethnic composition of LAPFUND’s staff. It emerged that three ethnic communities—Kalenjin (22%), Kikuyu (20%), and Luo (11%)—dominate the workforce, prompting questions about fairness in recruitment and staff diversity.
In his response, Mr. Mbogoh assured the Committee that LAPFUND promotes equal opportunity in hiring and career progression, and that appointments are made solely on merit, without ethnic bias. However, he did not provide documentary evidence to support these claims.
Dissatisfied with the CEO's responses, Committee Chairperson Senator Mohamed Said Chute directed Mr. Mbogoh to reappear before the Committee within one week, accompanied by comprehensive documentation to substantiate his assertions.
The Committee reaffirmed its commitment to upholding equity, diversity, and strict compliance with constitutional and legal frameworks within public institutions.