Mombasa — A parliamentary committee has criticised the Kenya Ports Authority and the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute for failing to meet the legal threshold for employing persons with disabilities.

The National Assembly Committee on Cohesion and Equal Opportunities said the two institutions have invested in disability-friendly facilities, but the number of persons living with disabilities in their workforce remains below the required five percent.

During an inspection at KPA, the committee noted that only 173 out of 5,844 employees are persons with disabilities, representing three percent of the workforce.

Committee Chairperson Adan Haji questioned why the institution had invested in ramps, lifts, accessible toilets and parking spaces without employing enough beneficiaries.

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"KPA is one of the oldest government institutions and should have surpassed this target," he said.

The committee raised similar concerns at KMFRI, where officials said persons with disabilities account for 3.7 percent of employees.

Haji said the institution had failed to comply with constitutional provisions on equal opportunities more than a decade after the Constitution was promulgated.

Shinyalu MP Fredrick Ikana dismissed claims that qualified persons with disabilities do not apply for jobs, saying many remain unemployed despite seeking opportunities.

KMFRI Director of Social Economics Jacob Ochiewo defended the institution, saying the number of employees with disabilities had increased from one percent to 3.7 percent in recent years.

The committee said the visits were aimed at verifying information earlier submitted by the institutions on compliance with disability and equal opportunity laws.