I know that there are usually people out there to start urban legends about how no matter if you choose on merit 80% will be out of a certain tribe.

80%?????

Let me just say that I have my doubts. But anyway with all benefit of doubt,I don't think that anyone can dispute a process that was transparent and totally on merit even if it yielded 100% from one tribe. As long as it is purely on merit.

What cannot be excused is what happens on government circles where tribe is more than merit. I believe if government borrows some of these traits from the private sector,then no one would care how many people of a certain tribe are in a certain ministry....


When we pray in praise to God,he makes a difference in our lives.

@akowally,

Urban legends aside, You wrote 'I don't think that anyone can dispute a process that was transparent and totally on merit even if it yielded 100% from one tribe.'

and continued 'What cannot be excused is what happens on government circles where tribe is more than merit. '

Is absolute meritocracy just?

I think tribe invariably plays a part and sometimes broadly speaking culture. I recall once waiting in a bank in Mombasa - it was high noon and the heat was sweltering...so while standing in line this 'coast lady' teller and the customer - also a person from coast (whether digo,mjikenda,Yemeni,bajun,does not matter - but a coast person) - said customer must be in retail for he has a sack of coins and many small denomination notes. They proceed to to exchange formalities,greetings and meaningless chit chat etc,....owing to chit chat,she keeps losing count of the coins and keeps starting again....the HOUR hand moves before our eyes in the sweltering heat (no AC) as she takes abt 30 minutes to serve one customer...in nairobi it would have been a maximum of 7 minutes.

I'm not saying its a crime to be cordial....but I if I was recruiting for Equity Bank in Nairobi,I'd skip all applications from Mombasa. And for that matter,Uganda as well...banks should be about speed and efficiency not hospitality like a hotel.

The problem with equality is that we desire that it be with those that have more than us rather that those that have less

@pm... It is this movement away from meritocracy that is the slippery slope...
(1) u move from 100% meritocracy to some sort of 'affirmative action ***-*** (2) Then u start allocating jobs by ethnicity (e.g. 22% of population is kikuyu (or any other tribe) = 22% of jobs for kikuyus) ***** (3) Then allocation by 22% of higher positions on the formula *** ___*** (4) Soon those in higher positions hired due to tribe (not merit) hire more of their own... (5) Soon 100% (or very close) becomes one tribe then mediocrity... coz no more merit needed

Greedy when others are fearful,Very fearful when others are greedy - to paraphrase WB

@VVS,

I've personally witnessed undisputed global technological (cutting-edge) leader over several decades become a second fiddle purely for ignoring meritocracy at the helm.


From your reference; NBD Nov 4 p.2 'The production team was next to go.



They were accused of coming from a wrong ethnic group,and she suspected that the then production manager had brought in people from his village.'


Meritocracy and sucess of a firm /gov org go hand in hand,an outfit as the one described above is unlikely to survive or even deliver any worthwhile service/product.

SK any chance of getting a more robust editor :)