IEBC plans to interview candidates for its next Chief Executive Officer have been temporarily stopped after the High Court issued conservatory orders blocking the recruitment process.
The Malindi High Court granted the orders on Thursday, November 5, following a petition challenging how the electoral commission handled the shortlisting process for the Commission Secretary and CEO position.
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IEBC interviews put on hold
The court certified the matter as urgent and barred the commission from proceeding with interviews pending further hearing and determination of the petition.
The interviews had been scheduled for November 12 and 13, with nine candidates shortlisted for the senior position.
Among those shortlisted are former Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission CEO Halakhe Waqo and NACADA chief Anthony Omerikwa.
Other candidates include Harley Mutisya, Edmund Odiwuor Malitt, Andrew Gitau Kimani, Mohamed Abdullahi Abdi, Edward Katama Ngeywa, Martina Wato Yattani and Nelly Ilongo.
Petitioner questions recruitment process
The petitioner argued that the commission had not been sufficiently transparent about how applicants were assessed before the final shortlist was produced.
He also raised concerns over reports that foreign nationals had applied for the position and questioned whether the process fully complied with legal requirements.
The court has not yet made a final determination on those claims.
IEBC says foreign applicants were eliminated
The commission had earlier confirmed that some non-Kenyan applicants submitted applications but said they were removed during the preliminary screening stage.
IEBC said citizenship, national identification and academic qualifications were verified before the final shortlist was prepared.
It maintained that all nine candidates selected for interviews are Kenyan citizens and meet the minimum eligibility requirements.
Recruitment involved external consultant
The process has also attracted a separate legal challenge over IEBC’s decision to involve KPMG Kenya in parts of the recruitment exercise.
The consultancy firm was engaged to advertise the vacancy, receive applications, conduct initial assessments, verify credentials and help prepare the shortlist.
National Liberal Party leader Augustus Kyalo Muli separately challenged that arrangement, arguing that key recruitment responsibilities assigned to the commission under the law should not be delegated to a private firm.
In that separate case, the Milimani High Court declined to certify his application as urgent, noting that the recruitment process had already been in the public domain for some time.
IEBC seeking substantive CEO ahead of 2027 polls
The commission is seeking a substantive CEO following the resignation of former Commission Secretary Marjan Hussein Marjan earlier this year.
Ruth Kulundu, the Deputy Commission Secretary for Operations, is currently serving in an acting capacity.
The CEO plays a central administrative role in the commission, overseeing operations, staff and implementation of election-related programmes.
The recruitment process is therefore particularly significant as IEBC prepares for the August 2027 General Election.
For now, the planned interviews remain suspended until the High Court gives further directions.
