The Parliament has recently received a list of nine nominees for the selection panel of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). This panel will have the critical task of appointing new commissioners to the IEBC.
The nominees hail from various entities, including non-parliamentary parties, majority and minority parties, the Inter-Religious Council, and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya.
The selection panel will consist of Evans Misati representing non-parliamentary parties, Nicodemus Bore from the majority party, Augustus Muli from the minority party, Dr. Nelson Makanda and Fatuma Saman from the Inter-Religious Council, and Andrew Tanui Kipkoech from the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya.
Kenyans also anticipate more nominations from the Parliamentary Service Commission and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).
Once approved by Parliament, the appointed chairperson and members of the selection panel will take the oath or affirmation of office before commencing their roles.
Subsequently, they will have 90 days to complete the recruitment process and submit the nominees’ names to the president, in accordance with the new electoral law.
The selection panel will invite applications from qualified individuals, publish their names and qualifications, evaluate the applications, shortlist them, and interview the candidates.
Following this, the panel will select two qualified individuals for the chairperson position and nine qualified candidates for the commission member position.
After receiving these names, the president will nominate one person for the chairperson position and six people for the commission members.
It is also crucial to note that President William Ruto recently signed the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Amendment Bill, 2024, into law.
The parliament established this bill based on the recommendations of the National Dialogue Committee’s (NADCO) report.
