IEBC selection panel to be gazetted next week - Wetang’ula

All bodies mandated to second names to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) are expected to do so by Friday this week as the reconstitution of the agency commences.

Making the announcement on Monday, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula said the IEBC selection is expected to be gazetted by Tuesday, July 30, 2024, to kick-start the process of recruiting new commissioners.

Among the bodies expected to forward the names of the members are the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), Political Parties Liaison Committee (PPLC), Inter-Religious Council (IRC), Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK).

"By the close of the week, we shall have all names and send them to the President for gazettement by Tuesday," he said while addressing the media in Parliament buildings.

IEBC has lacked commissioners since former chairman Wafula Chebukati and commissioners Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye retired in January 2023.

The other four, Justus Nyanga'ya, Juliana Cherera (former vice chairperson), Irene Masit, and Francis Wanderi, quit after rejecting William Ruto's election as president in 2022. 

Speaker Wetang'ula further noted that the panel should be in place within 14 days after President William Ruto signed the IEBC (Amendment) Bill, 2023, into law.

Once gazetted, the panel will invite Kenyans to apply for the positions of chairman and commissioners. The panel will then shortlist candidates for interviews.

As highlighted in the IEBC (Amendment) Act, 2023, PSC and IRC will nominate two names each, ICPAK and LSK will send one name each, and PPLC will forward three names to the panel.

On July 9, 2024, President Ruto assented to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Amendment Bill, 2024.

During the signing ceremony at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Ruto affirmed his commitment to fully implementing the new electoral law, in line with the recommendations of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report.

"This historic action paves the way for appointing the selection panel that will recruit IEBC's new commissioners. I am fully behind the process and committed to ensuring its full implementation," said Ruto then.

The bill, passed by Parliament, was based on the recommendations of the NADCO report and is the product of a bipartisan team comprising leaders from both the government and the opposition in efforts to end election wrangles.