IEBC selection panel begins interviews to pick new chairperson, 6 commissioners
A petition filed by the lobby group Operation Linda Jamii seeks to bar Nyachae and Mdivo from the selection process, arguing that they currently hold public offices that could create conflicts of interest.
The process of appointing new leadership at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) kicks off today as the selection panel begins interviews for the chairperson and six commissioners.
The interviews, which will run until April 24, aim to fill vacancies left after the exit of former chairperson Wafula Chebukati and commissioners Abdi Yakub Guliye and Boya Molu.
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The panel, chaired by Dr Nelson Makanda, has shortlisted 11 candidates for the chairperson position and 105 for the commissioner roles.
The interviews will take place at the College of Insurance in South C, Nairobi.
The first candidates to appear before the panel today are the former registrar of the Judiciary Anne Amadi, former Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution chairperson Charles Nyachae and lawyer Abdulqadir Ramadhan.
Tomorrow, March 25, 2025, the panel will interview former Turkana County Attorney Edung Ethekon, former Deputy Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Kakai Kissinger, former Nairobi County Assembly Clerk Jacob Ngwele and Kenya Power Board Chair Joy Brenda Mdivo.
The final set of chairperson candidates including Lillian Wanjiku Manegene, Robert Akumu Asembo, and Saul Simiyu Wasilwa will be interviewed on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
Once the chairperson interviews conclude, the panel will shift focus to the 105 commissioner candidates, with their vetting scheduled to run until April 24, 2025.
The new team will be responsible for overseeing future by-elections and preparing for the 2027 General Elections.
Key priorities for the commission include restoring public trust in the electoral process and addressing voter register concerns, which have been a subject of national debate.
Petitions challenge
Even as the interviews begin, the process has been met with legal challenges.
A petition filed by the lobby group Operation Linda Jamii seeks to bar Nyachae and Mdivo from the selection process, arguing that they currently hold public offices that could create conflicts of interest.
The petitioners claim that Nyachae, who chairs the Council of the Kenya School of Government, and Mdivo, the Kenya Power Board chair and head of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Electoral Disputes Resolution Committee, have not stepped down from their positions, which the Constitution bars them from holding alongside an IEBC role.
“The independence of the electoral body must be protected at all costs. Individuals with ties to state offices or political affiliations should not be allowed to take up roles within the IEBC,” the petition reads in part.
The case, filed at the High Court in Naivasha, has drawn interest from legal and civil society organizations, including the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and Katiba Institute, both of which have been listed as interested parties.
The petitioners are seeking a court order to stop Nyachae and Mdivo from proceeding with the interviews until the matter is determined.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Youth Organisation has also raised concerns over Nyachae’s suitability, citing his past professional engagements and questioning his record of impartiality.
The IEBC Selection Panel has yet to publicly respond to the petitions. However, the interview process is set to continue as scheduled, with candidates facing rigorous scrutiny before the final appointments are made.
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