Twenty-five applicants have expressed interest in replacing former Independent and Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Wafula Chebukati while 895 individuals want to replace six commissioners who exited the electoral agency.
In a statement, the IEBC selection panel chairperson Nelson Makanda said nine of those who expressed interest in the IEBC chairperson position made their applications online while 16 submitted hard copies. For the commissioner position, 385 submitted hard copy applications while 515 made online applications.
Dr Makanda said the panel will now move to the process of shortlisting the applicants.
“The Panel shall now embark on the long-listing exercise of the applications and cross-checking for applicants with multiple applications through both physical and electronic submissions. The Panel will thereafter proceed to shortlist applicants for the positions of Chairperson and Members of the IEBC,” he said.
The shortlisted candidates will be informed of the date and venue of the interviews.
He has also announced that the panel will ensure a fair recruitment exercise.
“I assure Kenyans that the Selection Panel is committed to conducting the recruitment exercise in an impartial, fair and transparent manner,” he added.
President William Ruto has, however, ruled out the reconstitution of the commission insisting that the seven-member panel was established in line with the Constitution.
Dr Ruto has said stakeholders, including the Law Society of Kenya, religious leaders, Parliament, the public service and political parties forwarded names of individuals who were later gazetted.
The panel is made up of two persons- a man and a woman- from the Public Service Commission (PSC), one person nominated by the PSC, the Political Parties Liaison Committee, the Law Society of Kenya and two other people from the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya.
