A political storm is building up with opposition leaders and the public raising questions about the ongoing recruitment of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners.
Days after opposition leaders accused President William Ruto of plotting a partisan takeover of the electoral body ahead of the 2027 General Election, the IEBC selection panel, which is interviewing candidates, is yet again under sharp scrutiny.
Amid concerns over the unexplained inclusion of six names in the shortlist for commissioner candidates, another storm is brewing. Former Head of Government Delivery Unit Peter Mbae has written to the panel alleging a push to have friendly commissioners in the electoral body as part of a scheme to aid President Ruto’s re-election.
“The system is pushing to have friendly commissioners and a chairperson but they are doing it so carelessly. Are they doing it so that Kenyans can go to court and delay the process, so that the country falls into the trap of delayed 2027 polls?” Dr Mbae wondered.
Dr Mbae, through lawyer Ndegwa Njiru, has written to the panel’s chairperson Dr Nelson Makanda, demanding transparency and accountability in the process. In the letter, Dr Mbae has questioned the eligibility of Ms Joy Brenda Masinde Mdivo for the position of IEBC chairperson.
“During the 2022 General Election Ms Joy Brenda Masinde held the position of chairperson of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party Electoral Dispute Resolution Committee. She is not eligible for the position of the IEBC chairperson,” he says.
He has demanded the application forms that the panel received from Ms Masinde and copies of the interview’s hansard and/or transcript “to help us know if Ms Masinde disclosed that she had served as the chairperson of the UDA Dispute Resolution Committee five years preceding her application”.
In an exclusive interview, Dr Mbae said there is growing concern over several shortlisted candidates with links to the President and others who have served previously as State officers.
He also claimed the composition of the selection panel is skewed, with two of members linked to President Ruto and his UDA party.
“We will not compromise on integrity. We will recruit people with the capacity to withstand pressure, which normally comes from politicians during elections. People who can deliver a free ,fair, transparent and verifiable election,” stated Dr Makanda during a recent interview with NTV.
The latest uproar comes a week after opposition leaders Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua and Eugene Wamalwa claimed that President Ruto and his new ally ODM leader Raila Odinga were plotting to takeover the electoral body.
“This nefarious exercise is intended to rig the next General Election and perpetuate the Kenya Kwanza regime, which has lost the trust and confidence of the people,” said Ms Karua. “The shortlisting process excluded Kenyans with credible qualifications while favouring individuals with ties to UDA and ODM.”
Mr Musyoka said: “We demand for transparency and accountability and adherence to the rule of law in the ongoing IEBC commissioners and chairperson recruitment. Some names of those being interviewed are suspect.”
Furthermore,the leaders claimed the National Intelligence was interfering with the process.
However, ODM dismissed the claims as unfounded and an attempt to discredit the process.
“The panel should be allowed to independently execute its mandate without political interference,” said ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna.
Last week there was public uproar after it emerged that the IEBC selection panel had added six candidates for the position of commissioner to the interview list. The initial list, published on March 14 featured 105 candidates. But on March 25, the list was expanded to 111 candidates.
