Editor's Review
IEBC has explained why foreign nationals appeared on the list of applicants for the position of Commission Secretary/Chief Executive Officer.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has explained why foreign nationals appeared on the list of applicants for the position of Commission Secretary/Chief Executive Officer.
In a statement on Friday, October 30, IEBC said it had contracted an independent firm to oversee the recruitment process to safeguard professionalism and independence in the selection of its next chief executive.
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"To ensure professionalism and independence in this critical recruitment, the Commission contracted KPMG Kenya to manage the end-to-end recruitment process, including advertisement, receipt of applications, long-listing, verification and shortlisting," the statement read.
IEBC explained that publishing the names of all applicants was part of its commitment to transparency and fair competition, noting that it had received 304 applications for the position.
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"In compliance with Article 35 and Article 232 of the Constitution on transparency and fair competition, the Commission published the full list of all the 304 applicants," the statement added.
Addressing why foreign nationals featured on the published list, IEBC said the vacancy had been advertised publicly through newspapers, its official website and social media platforms, allowing interested candidates to submit applications regardless of their nationality.
The commission maintained that receiving applications from foreign nationals was not unusual in an open recruitment exercise.
"The vacancy was advertised openly in the newspapers, IEBC website and all social media platforms. Some applicants were of foreign nationalities.
"This is normal for any open advertisement and does not constitute an anomaly. Any person can apply, but not everyone qualifies," the statement explained.
IEBC clarified that Kenyan citizenship was among the mandatory requirements for anyone seeking the position of Commission Secretary/CEO.
Applicants were required to be Kenyan citizens, possess a degree recognised in Kenya, have at least five years of senior management experience and satisfy the leadership and integrity requirements under Chapter Six of the Constitution and the IEBC Act.
IEBC said it subsequently verified applicants' national identification documents, citizenship status and academic qualifications before preparing the final shortlist.
It confirmed that only Kenyan citizens made it to the final shortlist, with all foreign applicants eliminated at the preliminary stage for failing to satisfy the citizenship requirement.
"Upon verification of national ID, citizenship and academic credentials, the final shortlist contains ONLY Kenyan citizens. All foreign applicants were disqualified at the preliminary stage for not meeting the citizenship requirement," the statement further read.
IEBC maintained that the recruitment exercise remained transparent, urging Kenyans not to interpret the appearance of foreign nationals on the initial list as evidence of irregularities.
"The Commission assures the public that the process remains transparent, competitive and merit-based. We urge Kenyans to disregard attempts to politicize a standard recruitment process," the statement concluded.
IEBC has shortlisted nine applicants for the position.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday, August 28, IEBC shortlisted former Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Secretary Halakhe Waqo and renowned Advocate of the High Court Edward Katana Ngeywa.
Ngeywa was among the candidates who were shortlisted for the IEBC Chairperson job, before President William Ruto settled for Erastus Ethekon.
Other shortlisted persons include Anthony Omerikwa (Busia County), Harley Mutisya (Makueni County), Edmund Odiwuor Malitt (Homa Bay County), Andrew Gitau Kimani(Nairobi County), Mohamed Abdullahi Abdi(Wajir County), Martina Wato Yattani (Marsabit County) and Nelly Ilongo( Taita TavetaCounty).
"This final shortlist presented has taken into consideration the above requirements, layered with the need to drive inclusion across sensitivities such as gender, regional balance, differently-abled persons, etc., to the extent reasonable and possible based on the applicant pool," the statement read.
IEBC said that the shortlisted candidates will be interviewed between 12 November 2026 and 13 November 2026.
The Commission will communicate the interview venue to each candidate individually.
All shortlisted candidates will be required to present their National Identity Card or Passport, academic and professional certificates and transcripts and any other supporting documents and testimonials.
They must also present clearance certificates from the EACC, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), HELB and the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB).
