From Parties to polls: Nderitu among six nominated to IEBC
Her name was among six submitted to Parliament for vetting following a competitive recruitment process.
Ann Njeri Nderitu has been nominated by President William Ruto to serve as a commissioner of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), marking a key turning point in her career after years of managing political party affairs.
Her name was among six submitted to Parliament for vetting following a competitive recruitment process.
If approved, she will leave her post at the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) and join the IEBC.
The nomination was made on May 8 under Article 250(2)(b) of the Constitution and Sections 5(4) and 7 of the IEBC Act.
The list has been forwarded to the National Assembly for consideration.
Alongside Nderitu, the other five nominees are Moses Alutalala Mukhwana (Kakamega), Mary Karen Sorobit (Uasin Gishu), Hassan Noor Hassan (Mandera), Francis Odhiambo Aduol (Kisumu), and Fahima Araphat Abdallah (Lamu).
A seasoned administrator
Nderitu, who hails from Nyandarua County, has built a public service career that spans more than two decades.
Her nomination comes after her appointment as Registrar of Political Parties in 2020 by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
She was picked through a competitive process and passed parliamentary vetting.
Prior to joining the ORPP, Nderitu worked at the IEBC in different roles.
She served as Director of Voter Education and Partnerships, Head of Electoral Training, and Manager of Partnerships.
During her time at the commission, she played a major role in electoral preparedness through large-scale civic education and training activities.
"In a single electoral cycle, my department trained over 750,000 trainees in a cascaded approach," Nderitu said.
Her work at IEBC involved creating programmes to build capacity among election workers, voters, and partners involved in the election process.
She also helped design strategies for engaging stakeholders during election cycles.
Background in Education
Before entering the electoral space, Nderitu worked in the education sector. Between 2006 and 2008, she served as District Quality Assurance and Standards Officer in Kiambu West, then moved to Mbooni East in Makueni as District Education Officer.
She holds a Bachelor of Education in English and Literature from Moi University, obtained in 1995.
In 2007, she earned a Master of Arts in Linguistics from the University of Nairobi, and in 2018, she completed a Diploma in Public Administration at the Galilee Institute of Management in Israel.
"Holding a diploma in ECD gave me the opportunity to train thousands of teachers at certificate and diploma levels in addition to establishing centres of excellence where the teacher trainees went to benchmark, especially in preparation of teaching aids and conduct of outdoor activities," she says in her LinkedIn profile.
Nomination backed by broad experience
Nderitu was selected from 105 applicants by the IEBC Selection Panel.
The panel cited her broad experience in political party management and electoral operations as key reasons for her shortlisting.
Her current role at ORPP involves oversight of political parties, their funding, compliance with the law, and other administrative functions.
Nderitu has kept her personal life away from the public.
Most of what is known about her comes from her professional roles and education background.
Her earnings are from her official job as a state officer, which includes a salary and allowances.
If her nomination is approved, Nderitu will bring with her deep knowledge of both political systems and electoral operations.
This is expected to strengthen the IEBC as it prepares for upcoming electoral tasks.