National Assembly grants 14-day extension to IEBC selection panel

The National Assembly has extended the tenure of the Selection Panel responsible for recruiting nominees for the positions of chairperson and members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) by 14 days.

The extension, which was approved on Wednesday, will take effect from Monday, April 28, 2025.

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula stated that the panel is required to finalize the recruitment process within 90 days of its appointment and submit the names of nominees to the President.

He noted that the extension was necessary to ensure the selection process considers regional balance, youth representation, and overall inclusivity.

On January 27, 2025, the President appointed members of the Selection Panel tasked with overseeing the recruitment process.

The panel has since been conducting interviews of shortlisted candidates for the positions.

“Given the schedule of interviews of all the shortlisted persons,” Wetang’ula said, emphasizing the need for the process to adhere to official working days and hours.

The extension was initiated through a motion filed by Leader of Minority in the National Assembly, Junet Mohamed, who sought to extend the timeline by 14 days.

He cited paragraph 6(1) of the first schedule of the IEBC Act Cap 7(c), which mandates the panel to conclude its work within 90 days of appointment and submit the names of nominees to the President.

“Aware that by gazette notices 1901 and 2543 dated February 14 and March 1, 2023, respectively, the President declared one vacancy for the position of Chairperson of IEBC and six vacancies for the position of members,” Mohamed said during the session.

“Further aware that vide gazette notice 715 of January 27, 2025, the President appointed members of the selection panel for the recruitment of nominees for appointment as Chairperson and members of IEBC. Upon appointment, the panel commenced the recruitment process, longlisted and shortlisted qualified applicants for the positions of Chairperson and members,” he added.

Mohamed pointed out that the panel is currently carrying out interviews, but given the workload, it lacks sufficient time to complete the process within the initial deadline.

With the additional 14 days, the panel is expected to finalize its work and submit the names of successful candidates to the President within the extended timeline