The Selection Panel for the Recruitment of Nominees for Appointments for the positions of Chairperson and Members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been sued by one of the Kenyans who had applied for the advertised vacant positions.
This comes days after the IEBC selection panel published the names of shortlisted candidates who applied for the advertised vacant positions on Friday, March 14.
In a notice, the Nelson Makanda-led panel announced that it had shortlisted 11 candidates out of the 37 who applied for the IEBC Chairperson position.
The names of 105 shortlisted candidates who applied for the position of members of the electoral commission were also published.
One of the applicants, a Kenyan living in the US, moved to court to sue the IEBC selection panel.
IEBC selection panel sued
Dr. Collins Ondogo in his petition on Tuesday, March 18, alleged that he was unfairly dropped from the final list, despite being qualified for the commissioner post.
The Kenyan was among the 1,333 candidates who submitted applications for the position of IEBC commissioner.
Of these, 237 were female, while 1,078 were male, reflecting a gender imbalance in the recruitment process.
The selection panel reported that it received 1,848 applications by the close of the submission deadline on February 15, 2025.
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The panel, however, noted that there were several irregularities, including duplicate submissions via email and hard copy, improperly referenced applications, and submissions for positions that were not advertised.
When publishing the names of shortlisted candidates who applied for the advertised vacant positions, the panel also published the date and time for the respective oral interviews.
“NOW THEREFORE the Selection Panel hereby publishes the names of applicants shortlisted for the position of Chairperson and Member of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission as well as the date and time for the respective oral interviews,” read the notice in part.
Interviews for the shortlisted candidates of the IEBC members’ positions are set to commence on Thursday, March 27 and end on Thursday, April 25.
This will come after the interviews for the IEBC chairperson position shortlisted candidates are conducted between Monday, March 24 and Wednesday, March 26.
According to the panel’s chairperson, the oral interviews shall be held at the College of insurance, South C in Nairobi County and shall be conducted in public.
Memoranda from members of the public
Members of the public have since been invited to avail, in writing, under oath, by memoranda, and any information of interest with respect to the suitability of any of the shortlisted applicants.
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The Memoranda may be forwarded to the Selection Panel using the contact: The Chairperson of the Selection Panel for the Recruitment of Nominees for appointment as the Chairperson and Members of the IEBC, through registered mail.
It may also be hand-delivered in a sealed envelope between 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. to the Chairperson of the Selection Panel for the Recruitment of Nominees for appointment as the Chairperson and Members of the IEBC, 3rd Floor, County House Building.
Parliament Road or submitted online as a PDF file format attachment by emailing to [email protected].
Notably, the memoranda in respect of an applicant for Chairperson of the IEBC should be received by March 19 at 5.00 pm (East African Time).
The memoranda in respect of an applicant for Member of the IEBC, on the other hand, should be received by March 26, at 5.00 pm (East African Time).
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