The Commission on Administrative Justice (Office of the Ombudsman) has issued an inquiry to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) selection panel, demanding answers over the unexplained inclusion of six candidates in the shortlist for the vacant positions of IEBC Chairperson and commissioners.
In a letter dated Wednesday, April 16, addressed to the IEBC selection panel Chairperson Nelson Makanda, the commission expressed concerns over allegations surrounding the mysterious addition of the six candidates.
According to the commission, the six candidates, including Hassan Noor Hassan, Jibril Maalim Mohamed, and Michael Ben Oliewo, were reportedly added to the shortlist shortly before the commencement of scheduled interviews.
Other candidates whose inclusion is under scrutiny are Charles Kipyegon Mutai, Stephen Kibet Ngeno, and Joel Mwita Daniel.
"It is instructive to note that on 14th March, 2025, the Selection Panel published a shortlist comprising 11 candidates for the position of Chairperson and 105 candidates for the position of members of the Commission. On the same day, the Panel issued an addendum listing two additional candidates for the Chairperson position and 26 additional candidates for member positions, without offering any explanation for the addendum.
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"Subsequently, on 25th March, just days before the scheduled interviews, the Panel republished the list of shortlisted candidates for the position of members. This revised list included the original 105 candidates, the 26 candidates from the addendum, and an additional six names that had not previously appeared in any published list," the commission said.
To ensure fairness in public appointments, the Office of the Ombudsman is seeking a comprehensive explanation on eight key points, including the circumstances and considerations that led to the late inclusion of the six candidates after the original shortlist and an earlier addendum had already been published.
The commission is also seeking to understand reasons why the six, despite being part of the original pool of 1,356 applicants published on March 6, 2025, were omitted from both the original shortlist and the March 14 addendum.
Additionally, the Office of the Ombudsman needs details on the selection process and criteria used to add these specific six candidates and clarification on the rationale behind the March 14 addendum.
Further, the commission is asking for a timeline detailing when the decision to include the six was made and under whose authority as well as disclosure of whether any formal public communication was issued to justify the changes.
The Office of the Ombudsman is also seeking assurance on the measures taken to uphold fairness, transparency, and equal opportunity throughout the selection process.
Finally, the commission has requested submission of all minutes, documentation, and records related to the decision to include the six names in the shortlist.
The Office of the Ombudsman has given the IEBC selection panel seven days to respond.
