by Irene Githinji @gitshee The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) were sworn into office in November 2011, in a ceremony conducted by the retired Chief Justice Willy Mutunga.
The IEBC Commissioners replaced the Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC), which took over from the defunct Electoral Commission of Kenya in 2009. They were the team supervised the first elections under the Constitution 2010 elections.
The IEBC Act 2011 states that the members of the Commission are to be appointed for a single term of six years. A selection panel was set in place in August 2011, which comprised Ekuru Aukot (chairman), Prof. Marion Mutugi (vice chair) Justice Isaac Lenaola, Mwanyengela Ngali, Rosa Buyu, Irene Keino and Sophie Moturi.
An advert was subsequently placed inviting qualified Kenyans to apply for the positions while publishing of the names of the all the applicants was done within the seven days, in accordance with the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission Act 2011.
The selection panel then considered the applications, short-listed and the applicants were taken through a rigorous vetting process. The Selection Panel was to select three persons for the position of chairperson and 13 for positions as commissioners.
It then forwarded the names to retired President Mwai Kibaki and the then Prime Minister, Raila Odinga who were expected to consult, and nominate one of the persons as the chairperson, and eight as a members of the commission.
The President then forwarded his list of nominees to the National Assembly for vetting and approval. After this, a parliamentary committee considered within 14 days of receiving the names, the nominees and made recommendations to Parliament with regard to the nominees.
The post How the IEBC came into existence appeared first on Mediamax Network Limited.