IEBC shortlists nine candidates for top job

By  Kevin Cheruiyot

Correspondent

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has shortlisted nine candidates for interviews for the position of chief executive officer as it steps up preparations for the August 2027 General Election.

In a statement, IEBC chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon said the candidates would be interviewed on November 12 and 13 at a venue to be communicated to them.

The shortlisted candidates are National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) chief executive Anthony Amerikwa, former Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) chief executive Halakhe Waqo, Harley Mutisya, Edmund Odiwuor Malitt, Andrew Gitau Kimani, Mohamed Abdullahi Abdi, Edward Katama Ngeywa, Martina Wato Yattani and Nellie Ilongo.

Mr Ethekon said the selection took into account the requirements of the position, as well as the need to promote inclusion.

“This final shortlist presented has taken into consideration the above requirements, layered with the need to drive inclusion such as gender, regional balance, differently-abled persons to the extent reasonable and possible based on the applicant pool,” he said.

The shortlist comes five months after the resignation of former CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan, which the commission described as a mutual agreement. Mr Marjan joined the commission in March 2022 and was its public face during the transition period when the IEBC operated without a fully constituted team of commissioners.

A total of 304 candidates applied for the position before the deadline.

The commission has directed shortlisted candidates to present their national identity cards, academic and professional certificates, transcripts, supporting documents and testimonials. They must also provide clearance certificates from the EACC, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).

The recruitment comes as the commission prepares for the 2027 General Election, with the management of the electoral process expected to come under intense scrutiny.

The IEBC secretary and CEO oversees the day-to-day administrative and technical operations of the commission’s secretariat and serves as its accounting officer. The position also entails managing financial resources, preparing annual plans, overseeing budgets and procurement, and supervising secretariat staff.

The CEO is also responsible for implementing policies, strategies and resolutions adopted by the commissioners, and for coordinating the administration of elections, referenda, continuous voter registration and boundary reviews.

The successful candidate will serve a four-year term, renewable subject to performance.

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