Summary
The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) audited 202 state corporations between March and June 2025. Of 1,848 board members in 201 corporations, 614 (33%) were women. Half of the boards met the not-more-than-two-thirds gender principle, and 52% of 198 corporations met it in top management, where women were 32.6% of 2,434 personnel.
Inclusion gaps were larger for other groups. Persons with disabilities (PWDs) were 0.9% of board members and 1.3% of top management. Only 14 boards and 16 top management teams met the 5% PWD quota. Youth aged 18-34 were 50 of 1,828 board members with recorded ages and 2.5% of top management.
Leadership is concentrated. Only 19% of 190 substantive board chairpersons and 20.2% of 163 substantive secretariat heads were female. Seven communities supply 79% of board members, six supply 80% of top management and six supply 75% of secretariat heads. The report calls for stronger enforcement of constitutional provisions and inclusive appointments.
Key findings
- Across 201 state corporations, 614 of 1,848 board members (33%) were women, and half of the boards met the not-more-than-two-thirds gender principle.
- Four boards had more women than men: Kenya Law Reform Commission (100% female), Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration (85.7%), Mama Ngina University College (80%) and Anti Female Genital Mutilation (77.8%).
- Persons with disabilities were 17 of 1,848 board members (0.9%), and only 14 of 201 corporations (7%) met the 5% PWD quota on their boards.
- Among 190 substantive board chairpersons, 36 (19%) were female and 3 had disabilities; nine ethnic communities supplied 83% of chairpersons.
- Seven communities (Kikuyu, Kalenjin, Luhya, Luo, Kisii, Kamba and Meru) account for 79% of board members.
- In 198 corporations, women were 794 of 2,434 top management personnel (32.6%), and 102 corporations (52%) met the two-thirds gender principle.
- Persons with disabilities were 31 of 2,434 top management staff (1.3%), and 16 of 198 corporations (8%) met the 5% quota; youth were 2.5% and 93.1% were aged 35-59.
- Of 163 substantive secretariat heads, 33 (20.2%) were female, one had a disability, and six communities supplied 75% of heads.
Recommendations
- Cabinet Secretaries who appoint board members should consider gender balance and other aspects of inclusion when appointing alternate members, given current board membership.
- Where a Principal Secretary is a board member under the enabling statute and is represented by an alternate, the same inclusion considerations should apply.
- The State Corporations Advisory Committee should consider gender balance and other aspects of inclusion in staffing levels when advising on appointments of officers, staff and board members, including new boards.
- Each state corporation should comply with Articles 10, 232 and 27(8) of the Constitution and policies such as Sessional Paper No. 2 of 2019 on National Policy on Gender and Development.
How the study was done
NGEC emailed a circular and standard data template to 264 state corporations. 202 responded, a 77% response rate, out of 343 state corporations. Data covered sex, age, disability status and ethnicity of board members and top management as of March 2025. Limitations include missing age data for some members, incomplete returns and late or no responses.
Questions & answers
What did the NGEC 2025 audit of state corporations find on gender?
Women were 614 of 1,848 board members (33%) across 201 state corporations and 32.6% of 2,434 top management personnel. Half of the boards and 52% of corporations in top management met the not-more-than-two-thirds gender principle.
How many persons with disabilities sit on state corporation boards in Kenya?
The audit found 17 persons with disabilities among 1,848 board members, or 0.9%. Only 14 of 201 state corporations (7%) met the constitutional threshold of at least 5% PWD representation on their boards.
How many state corporation boards are chaired by women?
Of 190 state corporation boards with a substantive chairperson, 36 (18.9%, reported as 19%) were chaired by women and 154 by men. Of the 189 chairpersons with age data, three had disabilities.
How many state corporations did NGEC audit and how?
NGEC audited 202 of 343 state corporations between March and June 2025. A circular and standard template were emailed to 264 corporations, and 202 responded, a 77% response rate. Data covered sex, age, disability and ethnicity as of March 2025.
How well are youth represented in state corporation leadership?
Youth aged 18-34 numbered 50 of 1,828 board members with recorded ages, and 23 were female (3.8% of female board members). In top management, youth were 62 of 2,434 personnel (2.5%).
Which ethnic communities dominate state corporation boards and management?
Seven communities (Kikuyu, Kalenjin, Luhya, Luo, Kisii, Kamba and Meru) account for 79% of board members. Six communities supply 80% of top management personnel and 75% of secretariat heads.
What does the NGEC recommend for state corporations?
NGEC recommends that Cabinet Secretaries consider gender balance and inclusion when appointing alternate board members, that the State Corporations Advisory Committee weigh inclusion in its advice on appointments, and that each corporation comply with Articles 10, 232 and 27(8) of the Constitution.
