Selection panel begins vetting for new IEBC team
The process of appointing new leadership at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) begins today as the Selection Panel kicks off interviews for the chairperson and six commissioner positions.
The month-long exercise, scheduled to run until April 24, seeks to fill vacancies left after the exit of former chairperson Wafula Chebukati and commissioners Abdi Yakub Guliye and Boya Molu.
The panel, led by Dr. Nelson Makanda, has shortlisted 11 candidates for the chairperson position and 105 for the commissioner roles.
The interviews are taking place at the College of Insurance in South C, Nairobi.
Former Registrar of the Judiciary Anne Amadi, former Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution chairperson Charles Nyachae, and lawyer Abdulqadir Ramadhan will be the first to face the panel today.
The vetting continues tomorrow with former Turkana County Attorney Edung Ethekon, former Deputy Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Kakai Kissinger, former Nairobi County Assembly Clerk Jacob Ngwele, and Kenya Power Board Chair Joy Brenda Mdivo.
The last set of chairperson candidates, including Lillian Wanjiku Manegene, Robert Akumu Asembo, and Saul Simiyu Wasilwa, will be interviewed on Wednesday, March 26.
Once the chairperson interviews conclude, the panel will shift focus to the commissioner candidates, whose vetting will run until April 24.
The new IEBC team will be tasked with overseeing future by-elections and preparing for the 2027 General Election.
Key priorities for the commission include restoring public trust in the electoral process and addressing concerns over the integrity of the voter register.
Even as the interviews begin, the process faces legal hurdles.
A petition filed by lobby group Operation Linda Jamii is challenging the inclusion of Charles Nyachae and Joy Brenda Mdivo, arguing that they currently hold public offices that could create conflicts of interest.
The petition claims that Nyachae, who chairs the Council of the Kenya School of Government, and Mdivo, the Kenya Power Board Chair and head of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Electoral Disputes Resolution Committee, have not resigned from their positions.
Petitioners argue that the Constitution bars them from holding these offices while seeking an IEBC role.
“The independence of the electoral body must be protected at all costs. Individuals with ties to state offices or political affiliations should not be allowed to take up roles within the IEBC,” the petition reads in part.
The case, filed at the High Court in Naivasha, has drawn interest from legal and civil society organizations, including the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and Katiba Institute, which have been listed as interested parties.
Petitioners are seeking a court order to block Nyachae and Mdivo from proceeding with the interviews until the matter is determined.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Youth Organization has also raised concerns over Nyachae’s suitability, citing his past professional engagements and questioning his impartiality.
The IEBC Selection Panel has not publicly responded to the petitions. However, the interview process is set to proceed as scheduled, with candidates expected to face thorough scrutiny before the final appointments are made.