Shortlist for new electoral team faulted

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Four MPs including Abdul Bahari (left) and Julius Kones (right)have cried foul after the panel appointed to establish the new electoral commission failed to shortlist majority of the Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) commissioners, who had applied for the jobs September 15, 2011. ANTHONY OMUYA  

By PETER LEFTIE
Posted  Thursday, September 15  2011 at  22:30

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Four MPs on Thursday cried foul after the panel appointed to pick the new electoral team failed to shortlist the majority of members from the Interim Independent Electoral Commission who had applied for the jobs.

The MPs — Mr Abdul Bahari, Mr Mohamed Mahmoud, Ms Peris Simam and Dr Julius Kones — demanded the panel chaired by Dr Ekuru Aukot repeat the shortlisting in order to accommodate commissioners who served in the IIEC and the Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission (IIBRC).

The MPs spoke a day after the panel released names of those who had been shortlisted for positions in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

From the seven IIEC commissioners who had applied for the jobs of commissioners in the new body, the panel only shortlisted three.

The three are Dr Yusuf Nzibo, Mr Abiud Simiyu and Mr Ken Nyaundi. IIEC commissioners who failed to make it are Mr Davis Mwashigadi, Ms Winfred Guchu, Mr Davis Chirchir and Mr Tiyah Galgalo.

The panel also picked only two former IIBRC commissioners — Mr Mwenda Makathimo and Mr Abdulahi Sharawe.

Those who failed to make it to the shortlist are former chairman Andrew Ligale, Mr Murshid Abdalla, Ms Irene Masit and Ms Jedida Ntoyai.

The MPs read a political motive in the panel’s failure to shortlist the former commissioners whom they claimed had vast experience in conducting elections and boundaries review.

“These are people who have conducted over 10 by-elections and the referendum very successfully. They should have been given a chance to go through the interviews,” Mr Bahari complained.

“A commissioner like the one who came up with the electronic voting system was not even shortlisted. This raises serious questions,” Dr Kones added.

The MPs insisted that the process be repeated so that the outgoing IIEC and IIBRC commissioners are invited to attend the interviews.

The panel was forced to re-advertise the post of the IEBC chairman after only four people applied for the job.

They are outgoing IIEC chairman Hassan Isaack, civil society activist Koki Muli, Ms Consolata Ngondi and Titus Kipkoech Kelang.

Those shortlisted will be interviewed between September 26 and October 10.