Nyachae, Amadi, Oswago in race for next IEBC chair
Makanda said that following the long listing exercise, the Selection Panel shall now proceed to undertake the shortlisting process
Former East African Court of Justice Judge Charles Nyachae, former Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Anne Amadi and former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chief Executive James Oswago are among 37 candidates who have applied to chair the electoral agency.
In a notice published in the newspapers, the IEBC Selection Panel chairman Dr Nelson Makanda also indicated that the team received 1319 applications for the positions of commissioner while 91 others applied but did not indicate which position they were seeking.
Of those interested in the chairperson’s job, six are women while three are Persons Living with Disabilities (PWDs).
In total, he said that at the close of the application period, the panel received 1,814 applications by hand delivery, post and email, but after collation it was found that 211 applicants sent in multiple applications, 91 failed to indicate and reference positions applied for while 14 sent applications for positions not advertised.
“Further One hundred and seventy six (176) applicants sent replies to the automated response received after send their applications through email. The total number of applications received is, therefore, one thousand three hundred and fifty-six (1356),” he added.
Separately, in a statement, Makanda said that following the long listing exercise, the Selection Panel shall now proceed to undertake the shortlisting process, the list of which will also be published soon before proceeding for the interviews.
The panel, which was sworn in on January 27 following a drawn-out political tussle that culminated in a negotiated process, is racing against time to select the next IEBC chairperson and commissioners to avert a constitutional crisis.
The offices have been vacant since the last IEBC team led by Wafula Chebukati (recently deceased) left office in January 2023.
The new team will have a full in-tray ranging from conducting by-elections, reviewing electoral boundaries and kickstarting key preparations for the 2027 General Election.
