NAIROBI, Kenya Jul 23- Lawyer Roseline Odede on Friday told the selection panel for the recruitment of four Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commissioners (IEBC) that she resigned as a member of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) due to her sense of responsibility.
She was the last candidate to be interviewed out of 36 who were shortlisted to replace Commissioners Roselyn Akombe, Paul Kurgat, Margaret Mwachanya and Connie Maina who resigned after the 2017 elections.
Odede said she needed to protect her integrity pointing out that the LSK Council has lost its legitimacy owing to perennial wrangles.
“I left not because I did not want to be part of a failing institution but out of a sense of responsibility and accountability to the members. We are an elected team, and we are not in employment. We are here to serve members and when we stop serving member’s interests we lose legitimacy,” she said
Her confession caught the attention of one of the panelists Morris Kimuli who while citing the four commissioners, who quit in 2017 as an example, sought to know if she would be able to withstand the political pressure that the electoral body experiences every election cycle.
“For the commissioners who left, they did not leave because there was a clamour for them to leave, they left because of their own internal wrangles at the commission and I think they did not give it time to reconcile, they bolted. I did not bolt. I took time to think through this and I am not a quitter,” Odede said.
Odede resigned from LSK on January 19 this year saying the infighting in the LSK council had rendered it completely dysfunctional and it was emotionally draining and frustrating, hence her decision to quit.
Earlier, Rose Musyoka was hard-pressed to explain what role she played in solving historical land injustices in the country during her tenure at the National Lands Commission (NLC).
Musyoka who served for 18 years at the Ministry of Lands and 6 years at the NLC found herself in a difficult position trying to explain why land injustice is still an issue in Kenya.
“Most of the cases that we handled bordering on historical land injustices we made recommendations and it is not clear whether those recommendations have been implemented,” she said.
In a quick interjection, panelist Kimuli asked her why she did not follow up to know if they were implemented, “Don’t you think you have the duty to follow your word and ensure they have been implemented? You are working in an independent commission, fully financed by the government, security of tenure, you can’t be removed, you can’t be picked with saliva like a fly, don’t you think you should have done a follow-up?”
Having come from another independent commission where corruption allegations and court cases were regularly witnessed, Musyoka was further tasked to explain what ideas she would bring to deal graft.
The first candidate who was interviewed Friday was Professor Richard Okoth who outlined three key factors including reengineering of the electoral technology services as some of the strengths that make him fit for the job.
“And of course to look at the perception and trust which is an aspect that is critical need to look at the image and the credibility of the IEBC. Financing which is an aspect of what are the sustainable sources of finances for the commission. I intend to present a combination of the benefit of a long-standing service expertise coupled with the advantage of recent knowledge,” he said.
Okoth who is also a board member of the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics says his knowledge on statistical matters will also play a huge role in strengthening the poll body.
The Elizabeth Muli-led selection panel concluded the exercise which kicked off on July 7, having interviewed 35 candidates as one of them Abdalla Mohamed pulled out of interviews.
Mohammed withdrew from the interviews after Kenya Methodist University denied awarding him a bachelor’s degree.
The panel will nominate four candidates and submit their names to the president for appointment to serve for a six-year non-renewable term.
About The Author
