The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) selection panel should make public its report on the just concluded recruitment of the agency's chairperson and members, an elections observer group has said.
The panel, chaired by Nelson Makanda, handed over its report to President William Ruto at State House in Nairobi on Tuesday, May 6 after conclusion of interviews that saw Erastus Edung Ethekon, from Turkana County, nominated for the position of IEBC chairperson.
And now, Elections Observation Group (ELOG) wants the report the panel handed to President Ruto released to the public ensure transparency in the process.
The ELOG is an organisation comprising civil society organizations, and faith-based organizations that work together to strengthen democracy in Kenya and the African Region by providing a sustainable platform for monitoring and observation of electoral processes.
President William Ruto nominated Ethekon for the position of IEBC chairman on May 8.
Ruto nominated six other individuals to serve as members of the commission and submitted their names to Parliament for vetting.
The IEBC selection panel concluded its interviews on April 25, following a month-long vetting exercise. The panel completed interviews for the IEBC chairperson position on March 26.
In a statement, ELOG expressed concerns over the withholding of the report from the public, saying the decision could deepen suspicions and promote unnecessary speculations.
"The report was only submitted to the president and was not made public. We demand the immediate release of the full recruitment report. Transparency and accountability through the observance of open data principles are fundamental for good governance," ELOG stated.
ELOG also raised concerns about the addition of six more names to the shortlist without any clear explanation to the public.
"Our only concern during this process was the addition of six more names to the shortlist without clear information to the public on why this was done," read part of the statement.
The group commended the selection panel for conducting interviews openly and transparently, and emphasized the importance of public scrutiny in ensuring decisions are made based on merit rather than favoritism or corruption.
The six people nominated as members are Ann Njeri Nderitu (Registrar of Political Parties), Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah.
The nominations followed the recommendations of the selection panel on the recruitment of nominees for the positions of chairperson and members of the IEBC, as transmitted on May 6, 2025.
ELOG further noted that failing to release the report undermines public trust and raises serious concerns about the integrity of the recruitment process, which they say has mostly been transparent so far.
