Panel to start interviews for position of IEBC chairman

Bernadette Musundi (right), the chairperson of the Selection Panel for the Appointment of Commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, with the group's vice-chairperson Abdulghafur El-Busaidy at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi on November 25, 2016. The panel has sent the shortlist to the President for nomination. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Observers will be hoping that the interviews take off as scheduled and that hopefully, the panel will by the end of the week have nominated the men and women they feel are fit to lead the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

  • The selection panel headed by Bernadette Musundi has in the past been accused of mishandling the selection after it was forced to re-advertise for the position of chairman just two days to the start of the interviews scheduled for November 28.

The panel recruiting new members of the electoral commission is set to start interviewing the 10 individuals who have emerged as the finalists for the position of chairman tomorrow.

Observers will be hoping that the interviews take off as scheduled and that hopefully, the panel will by the end of the week have nominated the men and women they feel are fit to lead the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

The selection panel headed by Bernadette Musundi has in the past been accused of mishandling the selection after it was forced to re-advertise for the position of chairman just two days to the start of the interviews scheduled for November 28.

Criticism arose after it failed to declare the first advertisement non-responsive as only 13 had applied for the job currently held by Ahmed Issack Hassan.

It had then shortlisted Roseline Odhiambo-Odede, David Malakwen Kiprop, Margaret Wambui Ngugi Shava, David Mukii Mereka and Dr John Kangu Mutakha.

But with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission failing to clear all but one of them and the submissions by the public raising significant issues against the finalists, the panel was forced to ask for more applications.

By asking for more applications, the panel also spared itself the delicate task of selecting two individuals who would satisfy the major political coalitions by not creating the impression that they had chosen an individual who could be allied to either on of the sides.

The five initially on the shortlist are from Kisumu, Nandi, Kiambu, Murang’a and Kakamega.

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But with the earlier interviews having been postponed because of the failure by the EACC to clear all but one of them, and the memoranda from the public being considered to have brought up pertinent issues, it will be interesting to see whether they eventually end up on the list of nominees sent to the President.

From the fresh applications, the panel shortlisted Taib Ali Taib Bajabir, Florence Muoti Mwangangi, Wanyonyi Wafula Chebukati., Tukero ole Kina and Lucas Leperes Naikuni.

Mr Taib is mostly known as a former mayor of Mombasa, and is an advocate who practises in Nairobi. He could be considered to be held in favour by the current administration as he was in 2015 appointed a member of the Kenya Investment Authority Board.

Ms Mwangangi is also an advocate. The soft-spoken native of Machakos was most recently the one of the representatives of the Law Society of Kenya on the Judicial Service Commission. She was a member of the commission under the administration of retired Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga, which initiated reforms in the Judiciary.

Mr Chebukati’s last high-profile job was as the lawyer for former EACC chairman Phillip Kinisu. After a series of blunders, Mr Chebukati’s client was forced to leave the EACC a disgraced man after the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee okayed the establishment of a tribunal to investigate him. The advocate comes from Trans Nzoia.

Mr Kina is from Kilifi and is an advocate. He represented residents of Lamu in a case against Stima Investment Cooperative Society over land in Lamu valued at Sh107 million. Mr Naikuni is also an advocate and is a partner at Naikuni Ngaah and Miencha Company Advocates.