IEBC defends CEO shortlist amid questions over foreign applicants

NAIROBI,Kenya Oct 31 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has defended its recruitment of a new Commission Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, insisting that all candidates shortlisted for the position are Kenyan citizens after concerns were raised over the nationality of some applicants.

The commission said foreign nationals who applied for the position were eliminated at the preliminary stage after verification established that they did not meet the mandatory citizenship requirement.

In a statement, IEBC said the recruitment process was conducted by KPMG Kenya, which was contracted to oversee the entire exercise, including advertising the vacancy, receiving applications, longlisting, verification and shortlisting.

The commission’s clarification follows concerns raised by the People’s Coalition on Electoral Reforms, led by former Chief Justice David Maraga, over the inclusion of names it considered questionable in the list of applicants published by IEBC.

The coalition had questioned the credibility of the recruitment process after identifying about 44 names in the longlist which it claimed appeared to be of foreign, particularly West African, origin.

It challenged the commission to explain how such applicants had made it into the recruitment process, demanding to know: “Where then, is the correct list of applicants?”

The coalition warned that a questionable longlist could undermine public confidence in the recruitment of the commission’s top administrative official, insisting that the exercise must be guided by transparency, meritocracy and integrity.

It also questioned why such a high number of people it suspected to be foreigners had applied for the position, arguing that the recruitment process should meet the highest standards of accountability given IEBC’s responsibility for managing elections.

However, IEBC said publication of all 304 applications was a constitutional requirement aimed at promoting transparency and fair competition, rather than an indication that every applicant had met the qualifications.

The commission cited Article 35 and Article 232 of the Constitution, which provide for access to information and principles of public service, including transparency and fair competition.

“Any person can apply, but not everyone qualifies,” the commission said, explaining that the vacancy had been advertised openly in newspapers, on its website and across its social media platforms.

IEBC said the mandatory requirements included Kenyan citizenship, possession of a degree recognised in Kenya, at least five years of senior management experience and compliance with Chapter Six of the Constitution on leadership and integrity, as well as the IEBC Act.

It added that verification of national identity documents, citizenship and academic qualifications had established that all foreign applicants failed to meet the citizenship requirement and were therefore disqualified before shortlisting.

“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 commission said.

The commission maintained that the process remained transparent, competitive and merit-based, urging Kenyans to disregard what it termed attempts to politicise a standard recruitment exercise.

The recruitment has attracted heightened public scrutiny because the Commission Secretary is the chief administrative officer responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the electoral agency.

The nine candidates shortlisted for the position include Anthony Omerikwa, Halakhe Waqo, Harley Mutisya, Edmund Odiwuor Malitt, Andrew Gitau Kimani, Mohamed Abdullahi Abdi, Edward Katama Ngeywa, Martina Wato Yattani and Nelly Ilongo.

The candidates are scheduled to appear for interviews on November 12 and 13, 2026.