The process of setting up a new Independent Electoral and Boundaries (IEBC) team has begun this week with four applicants to the chairman’s position grilled on their suitability to steer the agency.
- •The interviewing panel sought to know how the candidates would deal with the overriding interest from different stakeholders, promote integrity and restore public trust in the electoral body.
- •Former Chief Registrar Judiciary Anne Amadi, Former East African Court of Justice Judge Charles Ayako Nyachae, Edward Katema Ngaywa and Abdulqadir Lorot were the first applicants to be interviewed by the panel led by Nelson Makanda.
- •The IEBC has been dysfunctional for over 2 years following the resignation of commissioners and expiry of term limits by senior staff.
Anne Amadi was tasked to explain how she found herself in a gold scandal involving her law firm, which allegedly defrauded a British citizen more than $100 million paid for the purchase of 1500kg of Gold.
The panelists noted that the allegations were weighty and could compromise her suitability as the next IEBC chair. In her response, Amadi informed the panel that the allegations were a malicious attack on her reputation as she had no expertise in gold trade.
“It is true that there was an order that was issued on freezing my accounts and I agree with you that the allegations are extremely serious. My response is that there was no reason for me to be actually in that case and named as the first respondent because the firm that was involved, I resigned in it in 2014,” she told the panel. “I do not have skills in gold trade.”
Charles Nyachae, a second candidate for the chairman position interviewed on Monday said his legacy if successful would be to bridge the trust deficit the electoral body has with the public.
He said he will put prioritize inclusivity by, for instance, rolling out voter education to rope in more young people into the electoral process. Edward Katema Ngaywa, a third candidate to the position said he will push for a working code of IEBC ethics to protect the rights of women.
A total of 37 candidates had expressed interest in the IEBC Chairperson position before it was narrowed down to 11.
