NAIROBI, Kenya May 28 – Chief Justice Martha Koome has asked the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Selection Panel to uphold integrity in the ongoing exercise of recruiting four commissioners to join three others in the electoral body.
Koome who witnessed the swearing-in of Morris Kimuli, the Law Society of Kenya representative of the IEBC Selection panel on Friday at the Supreme Court, called for fairness during the exercise.
“Everybody is looking at you to give us commissioners who are going to deliver free, fair and credible elections. We know how central elections are to our country and therefore we are going to pray for you that you will be guided by nothing else other than the values contained in the Constitution,” she said.
While assuring the seven-member panel of her support, Koome underscored the need for it to select people of high integrity who will restore IEBC’s public confidence.
“We are in this journey together at the service of Kenyans to ensure that we deliver what is required of us to Kenyans,” she said.
Kimuli was sworn in after President Uhuru Kenyatta revoked the appointment of lawyer Dorothy Jemator to the selection panel.
Jemator’s nomination by an LSK faction led chief executive Mercy Wambua sparked fireworks in the council, with embattled President Nelson Havi objecting and instead nominated Kimuli.
The panel chaired by Dr. Elizabeth Muli last week published a list of 629 people who applied for four electoral commissioners’ jobs which were vacated by Roselyn Akombe, Paul Kurgat, Margaret Mwachanya and Connie Maina who resigned after the 2017 General Election.
Muli committed to ensure that the exercise will be above board even as she noted that the panel will now embark on shortlisting suitable candidates and invite them for interviews.
“We reiterate that as a panel we will be strictly guided by the Constitution and the law and that we will undertake this duty without fear of favor. We continue to ask Kenyans to continue praying for us as we undertake this important task and we hope to keep to the timeliness required so that we have a fully constituted IEBC,” she said.
IEBC is currently operating with three commissioners namely; Chairman Wafula Chebukati; commissioners Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye.
Section 6(2) of the IEBC Act dictates that a person is qualified as a member of the commission if such a person has proven relevant experience in electoral matters, management, finance, governance, public finance and administration, law and meets the requirements of Chapter Six of the Constitution.
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