Panel selects three for IEBC chair

The names of three nominees to chair the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission have been handed over to President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga

The IEBC selection panel forwarded the names of chairman of the Interim Independent Electoral Commission Isaack Hassan, constitutional lawyer Koki Muli, and former commissioner with the Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission Murshid Abdallah Mohammed to the principals Monday.

The President and the PM will now pick one of the three and present the name to Parliament for debate and approval. They will also pick eight from the 13 nominees as members to the commission who will go through the same process.

In the selection, the two principals and MPs must also ensure that they maintain the two-thirds gender balance. Of the 13 names proposed IEBC commissioners handed over by the panel, chaired by Dr Ekuru Aukot, only four are women.

They are 13 nominees are: Dr Yusuf Nzibo, Mr Abdullahi Sharawe, Mr Jotham Okome, Mr Thomas Letangule, Mr Joshua Willy Wambua, Mr Mohamed Alawi, Ms Lilian Zaja, Ms Jedidah Ntoyai, Ms Muthoni Wangai, Mr Albert Bwire, Mr James Mwangi, Mr Lawrence Nyale and Ms Galma Godana.

Dr Aukot said that they believed that they have selected the best from those who had expressed interest in the jobs. He, however, said that they were concerned by the small number of women who responded to the advertisements.

“The fact that only 18 per cent of the applicants for position of member and 25 per cent for chairperson were women presented a limited choice in respect to meeting the gender provisions of the Constitution,” said Dr Aukot.

He also defended the panel from accusations that it failed in its mandate by not shortlisting a large number of current IIEC members. He said that while recognising the importance of retention and continuity, the panel also had in mind that all Kenyans have an equal opportunity for consideration to public office.

Out of the 16 nominees, only four belong to the IIEC and the IIBRC including Mr Hassan and Mr Abdallah. The other two are Mr Nzibo and Mr Sharawe who have served in IIEC and IIBRC respectively.

According to the panel, Mr Hassan came first in the interviews “scoring the highest and is highly knowledgeable and experienced lawyer particularly in electoral matters".

There were eight people shortlisted for the job but two were disqualified during the interviews.

Mr Hassan has chaired the IIEC since its formation in 2008 after the disbandment of the Electoral Commission of Kenya which was accused of bungling the 2007 presidential elections. The commission has been commended for its good showing in conducting 11 parliamentary by-elections and last year’s referendum.

Mr Muli came in second in the interviews and the panel said that she is “highly knowledgeable and competent on electoral matters". Ms Muli is a known figure in the country’s civil society movement as the executive director of Institute for Education in Democracy.

On Mr Abdallah, the panel said that he has “experience in electoral matters from his membership in the defunct IIBRC".

Mr Abdallah has worked in marine insurance and general practice. He has also chaired the Mvita Constituency Development Fund committee and is a commissioner of the Poverty Eradication Commission.

“We have been faithful to our oath of office and have, to the best of our ability, selected persons best fitted to join IEBC. Those that shall hitherto be appointed should recognize both the trust bestowed on them and high expectation of the Kenyans by overseeing fair and peaceful elections thus restoring and enhancing confidence to the electoral management body,” said Dr Aukot.