The chairperson of the selection panel responsible for the
recruitment of nominees for positions of Chairperson and members for IEBC
Nelson Makanda at a past press briefing/FILEOnly six women have applied for the position of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson; it has emerged.
The selection panel responsible for the recruitment of nominees for positions of Chairperson and members for IEBC said the figure represented 16.22 per cent of total applications for the position.
The chairperson of the panel, Nelson Makanda, said 31 men applied for the position of IEBC chair, representing 83.78 per cent of the applications.
“Out of the 37 applicants for the Chairperson position, three are Persons Living with Disabilities,” Makanda said in his latest update of the recruitment process.
The total number of Kenyans who applied for member of the IEBC stood at 1,333, Makanda noted.
Of these 237 (17.77 per cent) were female, 1078 (80.87 per cent) male while 18 (1.35 per cent) did not attach National IDs on the applications.
Applications for IEBC member positions were drawn from all the 47 counties. However, only 17 counties were represented in the applications for IEBC chair, though seven applicants did not indicate the regions they come from.
Makanda noted that the total number of applications received at the close of the application process was 1, 848 at the close of applications at 5pm on February 15, 2025.
“Since then, the panel undertook a careful and thorough review of all email and hard copy applications received,” he said.
“This process revealed that several applicants had duplicate applications both on email and hard copy. In addition, some applicants send applications that were not referenced as per the advertisement, while others applied for positions not advertised (stray applications).”
Makanda announced that the long list of applicants for the positions is now ready and will be published on March 6, 2025, in two newspapers of nationwide circulation, the Kenya Gazette and the Parliamentary Website.
“Following the long listing exercise, the Selection Panel shall now proceed to undertake the shortlisting process, the list of which will also be published soon before proceeding for the interviews,” he said.
Makanda assured the public that it is working within its timelines and on course to complete its work within the 90-day deadline set out in the First Schedule to the IEBC Act.
“The Panel would also like to reiterate that in selecting the nominees for the Chairperson and Members of IEBC, it is committed to conducting a fair and transparent process. The public and applicants should be assured of the highest standards of integrity, impartiality, and accountability in every aspect of the Panel’s work.”
