NAIROBI, Kenya, May 9 — The Elections Observation Group (ELOG) has called on the IEBC Selection Panel to make public the full recruitment report submitted to President William Ruto following the conclusion of interviews for the Chairperson and members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
In a statement released hours after President Ruto named nominees to the commission on Thursday, ELOG expressed concern over the failure to publish the final recruitment report, saying it undermines the very principles of openness and accountability the process had sought to uphold.
“The report was only submitted to the President and was not made public. Accordingly, therefore, we demand the immediate release of the full recruitment report,” ELOG stated.
“Transparency and accountability through the observance of open data principles are fundamental for good governance.”
The Selection Panel, constituted via Gazette Notice No. 715 dated January 27, 2025, began interviews on March 24, 2025.
It shortlisted for interviews a total of eleven candidates for the Chairperson’s position, and 107 for commissioner roles.
The panel submitted its final report to the President on May 6.
Ruto nominates commissioners
On Thursday, May 8, President Ruto nominated Erastus Edung Ethekon as the new Chairperson of the IEBC, acting on the Panel’s recommendations.
He also nominated six individuals to serve as commissioners: Ann Njeri Nderitu (Nyandarua), Moses Alutalala Mukhwana (Kakamega), Mary Karen Sorobit (Uasin Gishu), Hassan Noor Hassan (Mandera), Francis Odhiambo Aduol (Kisumu), and Fahima Arafat Abdallah (Lamu).
The Selection Panel had submitted two names for the Chairperson position and nine names for the six member slots.
The President forwarded the final list of nominees to the National Assembly for vetting and approval, in line with the Constitution, the IEBC Act, and the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act.
Notable high-profile applicants such as former East African Court of Justice judge Charles Nyachae and former Judiciary Registrar Ann Amadi did not make it to the final nominations.
While praising the Panel for conducting a largely open and credible process, ELOG expressed concern about the unexplained addition of six candidates to the shortlist at the start of the recruitment, noting that the public was not provided with adequate information on the rationale behind the move.
“The failure to release the recruitment report will only deepen suspicions and promote unnecessary speculations,” ELOG warned, stressing that public trust in electoral institutions is essential for strengthening the legitimacy of elections.
