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Parliament extends tenure of IEBC selection panel
A joint sitting of the Senate and the National Assembly during the State of the Nation Address at Parliament in Nairobi on November 21, 2024.
Parliament has extended the tenure of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission selection panel for by two weeks.
While granting the Nelson Makanda-led team more time, Members of Parliament said the extension was meant to give the panel adequate time to complete the interviews for the commissioners.
“The Houses of Parliament resolve to extend the tenure of the Selection Panel for the Recruitment of Persons for appointment as Chairperson and Members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission by a period of fourteen (14) days from April 28, 2025,” reads the motion moved by Minority Leader Junet Mohamed.
The extension was sought by the panel in line with the provisions of paragraph 6(2) of the First schedule to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act, CAP 7C which allows for enstion of the period.
The move the MPs said will ensure the interviews are conducted as far as is practicable, within official working days and hours.
Mr Mohamed urged the House to have faith in the panel saying it was put together by a bipartisan political team of the National Dialogue Committee (Nadco) after the first was disbanded following sustained protests by the Azimio la Umoja coalition.
“If we didn’t have faith in that panel and this one, then we will only have faith in God. The IEBC commissioners do not produce Presidents, Presidents are produced by God. We have to come to terms with that,” Mr Mohamed said.
“We want Kenyans who are credible that will stand for the rights of Kenyans. This panel represents everybody, LSK is their ICPAK and other professional bodies. Let’s give them time,” he added.
Deputy majority leader Owen Baya said the panel requires more time in order to come up with the best end product.
“As parliament we need to give them more time so that this country is happy with the end product. If we constraint them with time, they might do much better work that this country desires. The work of the selection panel is critical for this country,” Mr Baya said.
Mr Baya said the ongoing interviews for both the chairpersons and commissioners have been very vigorous hence there is need for the panel to get more time in order not to rush the candidates appearing before them.
“We have all seen the interviews, it's rigorous, we want all Kenyans to be given time so that they are not hurried,” Mr Baya said.
The selection panel is currently conducting interviews for the six members of the IEBC following the finalization of the chairperson’s interviews, where prominent names, including Charles Nyachae, Anne Amadi and Joy Mdivo, are gunning for the top job.
The selection panel began the interviews of the 110 candidates jostling for the positions of six commissioners of the IEBC on March 27, 2025, in an exercise which is set to conclude on Friday, April 25, 2025.