NAIROBI – Wiper Leader Karonzomshoka has accused President William Root of being partisan in the appointment of chair and members of the Independent Election Boundary Commission (IEBC).
His feelings come after the head of the nominated Elastus Esecon, appointed as the next IEBC chair.
However, according to Mujoka, the move undermined trust and signaled plans to equip the election.
“Rout is very concerned that he chose to become a partisan by ignoring the principles of consultation and consent in the recommendations of the IEBC chair and members. This measure automatically created a low-reliability facility,” he said.
“As we said in our previous newsletter on the subject, it is clear that it is now intended to equip not only the next election, but also future by-elections. A comprehensive statement will be made by the opposition on Monday, May 12th,” he said.
President Root has appointed Esecon as the new IEBC Chair in accordance with recommendations from the Choices Panel, which oversees recruitment for the new electoral body.
The President also appointed six individuals to be members of the committee: Anne Najeri Ndelitu (Nyandaria), Moses Altarara Muhuwana (Kakamega), Mary Karen Solobit (Usin Gish), Hassan Noor Hassan (Mandela), and Francis Odimbo Abdallah (Kimum).
The selection panel submitted two names for the chair position and nine names for the six member positions. Based on these recommendations, the President made appointments that were forwarded to the Parliament for review and approval in accordance with the Constitution, IEBC Act and the Public Appointment (Parliamentary Approval) Act.
However, notable figures such as former East African Court MP Charles Nyache and the former judicial registrar did not make a final list. Just this week, a poll by research firm TIFA named Amadi as the most preferred candidate for the position of chair. Nyache ranks as the most popular overall.
According to a TIFA report released on Wednesday, 41% of Kenyans have expressed that Amadi prefers to lead the election agency and is concentrated in the Nairobi and Nyanza regions. Charles Nyache continued closely with 23% support, with Esecon winning 15% and Abdulqadir Ramadan winning 12%.
“Ramadan and Esecon may be affecting certain zones, but lack national appeal,” TIFA said in the report. This found that only four candidates were finalized and presented to the President for consideration.
Polls further reveal demographic and regional dynamics. Respondents ages 18-34 (44%) tended to support Amadi, while older respondents ages 35 and older were leaning towards Nyache. Many who supported Amadi cited gender expressions and her local background, while those who prefer Nyache were citing their qualifications and experience.
Regarding qualification issues, 56% of respondents favored Nyache, with 40% preferring Ramadan, 32% Esecon and 25% Amadi. In perceived fairness, Ramadan ranked highest at 38%, followed by Esecon (30%), Nyache (24%) and Amadi (18%).
Despite the appointments, public confidence in the recruitment process remains unstable. TIFA found that 55% of Kenyans are not convinced that the screening is merit-based, citing years of concern about the reliability of the election process. “Those who believe that previous elections are fair tend to trust the current process, while those who view past elections as flawed express deep skepticism,” the report states.
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The positions of IEBC Chairman and Commissioner were vacant on January 16, 2023, when former Chairman Waula Chebukati and Commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu concluded their six-year term. The committee was further shaken by internal conflict after the 2022 presidential election, leading to the resignation or fire of Vice-Chair Juliana Sherera and committee members Irene Masitt, Just Nyangaya and Francis Wandari.
The four, collectively referred to as “Cherera Four,” rejected the presidential election results announced by Chebukati, claiming that the final tally was not yet clear. They were later accused of conspired with senior Azimio Raumoja operatives to influence the outcome in favour of Raila Odinga.
The Parliament will begin screening candidates before they are officially appointed to pilot the country’s electoral reform ahead of the next general election.
