30 women for top poll jobs

At least 30 women were among 221 election coordinators appointed by the Interim Independent Electoral Commission. The selection followed intense interviews two months ago.

According to the IIEC website, the electoral affairs of eight constituencies in Rift Valley Province and six in Western provinces will be in the hands of women.

Eastern and Central followed in fourth and fifth positions after IIEC appointed five and four women, respectively, to occupy electoral offices in sections of the two provinces.

Coast and Nyanza got three women each as constituency electoral coordinators. In North Eastern Province, all the 11 positions were taken by men.

The new officials are set to fill the vacancies opened when Parliament disbanded the Samuel Kivuitu-led Electoral Commission of Kenya for bungling the 2007 General Election.

The new officers are expected to oversee work on a national voters’ register, expected to start early next year in the 210 constituencies. Bomachonge and Shinyalu are the only constituencies with new voters’ books after holding by-elections this year.

More than 33 constituencies were affected by lack of qualified professionals applying for the posts of election coordinators, prompting the IIEC to re-advertise.

Modern system

The IIEC is also expected to recruit deputy registration officers and clerks for the voter registration. The deputy registration officers are expected to oversee the training of the registration clerks, voter registration and registration and voter education in their constituencies.

Before the end of its tenure in May 2010, the IIEC should have developed a modern system for the collection, collation, transmission and tallying of electoral data.

The IIEC will also be expected to preside over a referendum on the new constitution, on which a team of experts is working.