As the date for new IEBC commissioners vetting nears, a call has been made to have a constitutional amendment that will include members of the publics on the vetting exercise.
Speaking in Kyumbi area while issuing a cheque to a women group, Machakos County Women Rep. Joyce Kamene Kisimbi said there is a need to involve Kenyans in the vetting exercise for inclusivity.
Kamene says the move will give voters a say in the matter of selecting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners, something she says is lacking in the current process.
Citing the anti-government protests that rocked the country in June-July 2024, the legislator said that a majority of Kenyans had lost trust in institutions like the electoral body, insisting that it is high time a constitutional amendment is done to allow Kenyans have public participation on who should hold such offices.
The IEBC Selection Panel, led by chairperson Nelson Makanda, has shortlisted 11 candidates who have been invited for interviews starting Monday, March 24.
The 11 shortlisted candidates are; Abdulqadir Lorot H. Ramadhan, Anne Atieno Amadi, Charles Ayako Nyachae, Edward Katama Ngeywa (PWD), Erastus Edung Ethekon, Francis Kakai Kissinger, Jacob Ngwele Muvengei, Joy Brenda Masinde-Mdivo, Lilian Wanjiku Manegene, Robert Akumu Asembo, and Saul Simiyu Wasilwa.
The first four candidates will be interviewed on Monday, March 24, the second group of four will face the selection panel on Tuesday, March 25, while the last three candidates will be interviewed on Wednesday, March 26.
