13 eye IEBC chairman's post, 800 to fight for six commissioners' slots
What you need to know:
- It is likely that the new team of commissioners will take office at the beginning of January 2017, with just seven months to prepare for the elections.
- Only two names will be submitted to the President for one to be nominated as chairman.
- Out of the 800 applicants, only nine names will be submitted for the President to nominate six as commissioners.
- The team is required by law to publish the names of all the applicants whose applications were received within the 14-day window given in the Kenya Gazette, two national daily newspapers and on the website of the Parliamentary Service Commission.
The publishing of names of applicants for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission jobs might take a week, the team of selectors said on Wednesday.
The selectors, who were surprised by the large number of applicants, said this could push the submission of names of potential members of the commission to the President for nomination beyond the November 30 date earlier anticipated by the team.
It is likely that the new team of commissioners will take office at the beginning of January 2017, with just seven months to prepare for the elections.
Bernadette Musundi, the chairperson of the selection panel, said they have received 13 applications for the post of IEBC chairman and more than 800 for the six commissioners’ slots.
Of the 13, only two names will be submitted to the President for one to be nominated as chairman while of the 800, only nine names will be submitted for the President to nominate six as commissioners.
“As a result of the unprecedented numbers of applications received, the consolidation of all the applications has taken a considerably longer time than anticipated,” Ms Musundi said in a statement.
HIGH CONFIDENCE
The panel took the large number of applications as an indicator of the high confidence the public has placed in the team picked after protracted negotiations between the ruling and the Opposition coalitions.
Ms Musundi said the exact number would be established after the team sorts through the applications and find out how many applicants could have put in their letters through both the electronic and manual delivery systems.
This forced the team to adjust the earlier timelines, which it said had only been tentative, and took advantage of the fact that the IEBC Act does not give timelines for the publication of the long list and the shortlist of applicants.
The team is required by law to publish the names of all the applicants whose applications were received within the 14-day window given in the Kenya Gazette, two national daily newspapers and on the website of the Parliamentary Service Commission.
“The panel projects that this should be done on or before Wednesday November 16. The selection panel will thereafter begin the shortlisting and thereafter publish the shortlist. This advertisement will also invite the views of the public on the suitability of shortlisted candidates for a period of seven days,” said Ms Musundi.
IEBC chief executive Ezra Chiloba has said that despite the hiccups arising from the change of the IEBC Act, the team would be properly prepared to conduct the elections next year.
The commissioners led by Ahmed Issack Hassan will be in office until the new team takes over.
PROVISIONAL LIST OF APPLICANTS FOR THE POSITION OF
CHAIRPERSON OF THE IEBC
1. Andrew Franklin
2. Anyara Emukule
3. CPA Joshua Kamwere Wanjiku
4. David Malakwen
5. David Mukii Mereka
6. Dr. John Kangu Mutakha
7. John Tentemo Ole Moyaki
8. Margaret W. N. Shava
9. Michael M. Mugo
10. Murshid Abdalla
11. Musoma Arthur Munubi
12. Roseline D.A. Odhiambo Odede
13. Vincent Opar
