Amadi, Nyachae, Mdivo among 11 shortlisted for IEBC chairperson post
The IEBC selection panel has shortlisted 37 candidates for the chairperson, including (inset, from left) Anne Amadi, Charles Nyachae, and Joy Brenda Mdivo.
What you need to know:
- The 11 include eight men and three female candidates while a further 105 applicants are vying for positions of IEBC's six commissioners.
- Deadline for submitting memoranda in respect of an applicant for the Chairperson of IEBC should be received by March 19, 2025 at 5pm.
Former Registrar of the Judiciary Anne Amadi, former chairman of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) Charles Nyachae, and Kenya Power board chairperson Joy Brenda Mdivo are among 11 candidates shortlisted for the position of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson.
The 11 include eight men and three female candidates while a further 105 applicants are also vying for the positions of the electoral body's six commissioners.
City lawyer Robert Akumu Asembo, who was included in the list of applicants through an addendum published in the dailies on Friday, March 14, is also among those to be interviewed for the position of the Chair of IEBC.
Others gunning for the IEBC chairman post are former deputy chief registrar of the Judiciary Francis Kakai Kissinger, former Turkana County Attorney Erastus Edung Ethekon, former Nairobi county Assembly clerk Jacob Ngwele Muvengei, and lawyers Abdulqadir Lorut Ramadhan, Saul Simiyu Wasilwa, Lillian Wanjiku Manegene and Edward Katama Ngweywa who is a person with disability.
As at March 6, 2025, a total of 1, 356 individuals who included politicians, former State officers and individuals with connections in President William Ruto and Opposition Chief Raila Odinga circles had applied for both the chairmanship and the members of the IEBC.
Of these, 37 were seeking the position of the Chairmanship of the, while 1319 wanted to be commissioners.
The list of the shortlisted candidates was published in the Daily Nation on March 14, 2025 by the IEBC selection panel for the recruitment of nominees for Appointment as the Chairperson and members of the IEBC.
The month-long interviews seeking to replace Wafula Chebukati and reconstitute the IEBC, will commence on March 24th and end on April 24, 2025.
Among the notable names that did not make the cut was former embattled CEO of the electoral body Mr James Oswago of the Chicken Gate Scandal.
Out of the 105 candidates who have been shortlisted for the position of commissioners include Peter Wanyande, former member of the CIC, Mr Duncan Ojwang who was in the legal team that represented President Ruto in the 2022 presidential petition and Mr Chrispine Owiye, current IEBC Legal Director.
Others are Kagwiria Mbogori - former Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Chair and Ms Betty Sungura - one time IEBC Deputy CEO and most recently NGEC CEO.
According to the notice signed by the Chairperson of the IEBC selection panel Dr Nelson Makanda: “The oral interviews shall be held in the Ballroom at the College of Insurance, South C in Nairobi County and will be conducted in public.”
Members of the public have been invited to avail, in writing, under oath, by memoranda, any information of interest with respect to the suitability of any of the shortlisted applicants to serve as Chairperson or member of the IEBC.
This can be done through registered mail, hand delivery in a sealed envelope or online as a PDF file format attachment to iebcselectionpanel2025@parliament.go.ke.
The deadline for submitting memoranda in respect of an applicant for the Chairperson of IEBC should be received by March 19, 2025 at 5pm while for members is by March 25, 2025.
“Any attempt by applicant to canvass or otherwise influence the selection process will automatically disqualify the applicant from the process,” warned Mr Makanda
In a Gazette notice No 1901 of February 14, 2023and March 1, 2023, President Ruto declared the position of the IEBC Chair and six commissioners vacant.
The IEBC selection panel on February 1, 2025 advertised the positions in the newspapers and the website of the Parliamentary Service Commission inviting applications for the positions.
During the burial of Malava MP Malulu Injendi, President Ruto asked the panel to expedite reconstitution of the IEBC to facilitate the pending by-elections in the country.
roudia@ke.nationmedia.com