Prof. Adams Oloo has dismissed calls to have him resign as a member of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Selection panel over conflict of interest.

In a statement seen by TV47 Digital, Prof Oloo insisted that he will stay put, despite a petition filed at the High Court challenging his appointment to the electoral commission selection panel.

In his petition, Lawyer Apollo Mboya argues that Prof. Oloo’s appointment to the panel amounted to conflict of interest since he serves as an advisor to President William Ruto. According to Mboya, his appointment was in contravention of the principle of separation of powers and representation as outlined in the IEBC Act Cap 7C.

‘I resigned’

But according to Prof Oloo, nothing could be further from the truth.

He acknowledges that indeed President Ruto, on 20th December 2024, appointed him as an Advisor & Member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors.

However, Prof Oloo now says that he resigned from this position in a letter dated January 24, 2025, and therefore fears of conflict of interest are neither here nor there.

“Given that my name was due to be forwarded to the President for formal gazettement as per the law. I, after consultation and in concurrence with H.E the President, resigned from the position of advisor to the president,” Prof. Oloo says. “In my letter of resignation, I proffered my belief that getting the IEBC right is critical to our future stability as a nation and our efforts to nurture democracy and hence my desire to participate in the process devoid of perceptions of partiality.”

Prof. Oloo was one of the nominees of the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) that had two slots in the IEBC Selection panel. “I became one of the nominees of PSC courtesy of competitive interviews conducted under the chairmanship of the Speaker on July 26 2024.”

Functional IEBC by May

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the IEBC Selection Panel on Tuesday, February 11 informed Kenyans that a fully functional electoral commission will be in place by 24th May 2025, if all goes to schedule.

Speaking during a media briefing at the start of a five-day orientational training in Naivasha, Dr Makanda informed the nation that a total of 339 Kenyans had applied for the commissioners’ position so far.

The application will undergo proper scrutiny, with names of the shortlisted candidates expected to be handed over to President Ruto on the 25th of April 2025.