The interviews conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Selection Panel for the positions of IEBC Chairperson and Commissioners have elicited heated debate, with notable politicians coming out strongly to criticise the conduct of the panel.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei have hit out at the panel over their conduct and approach while conducting interviews.
On Friday, March 28, Senator Cherargei took to X to voice his frustration over the interview process, terming it a “kindergarten exercise.” The Senator further questioned the quizzing of the candidates, citing its applicability to the law.
“I have been keenly following the IEBC commissioners' interviews done by the selection panel, which looks like kindergarten/ECD exercise,” he stated.
“The questions posed to the candidates by the IEBC selection panel are pedestrian and do not meet the threshold of getting IEBC commissioners with integrity,” Cherargei further added.
His counterpart, Sifuna, was more explicit, raising concern about the motive behind the questions asked by the panel and their link to the candidates’ attributes.
“I am not sure what this IEBC selection panel is looking for in these applicants. The members have long, windy questions that do not seem to be helping bring out the unique attributes of the candidates that qualify them for the job,” he posited.
The IEBC selection panel interviews began on Monday, March 24, and are set to run till Thursday, April 3. After the interviews, the panel will select two candidates for Chairperson and nine candidates for the six member positions, based on merit, qualifications, and integrity.
The shortlisted names are forwarded to the president within seven days of the interviews. Consequently, the President nominates one chairperson and six members from the list and sends them to the National Assembly for approval within seven days.
Consequently, the National Assembly vets and approves or rejects the nominees, following the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act. Upon approval, the President formally appoints the Chairperson and Commissioners by notice in the Kenya Gazette within seven days.
The discourse surrounding the interviews by the IEBC selection panel has attracted several politicians, with Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina calling for the injunction of fresh blood into the IEBC. Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa also urged the IEBC to maintain integrity in their activities.
Similarly, netizens have contributed to the conversation on the interviews, directly or indirectly criticising the process and calling for reforms to the process.
