The race for the chairmanship of the electoral
commission has narrowed down to three men and two women, all experienced
lawyers.
Mr David Mukii Mereka, Ms Roseline Odhiambo-Odede,
Dr John Kangu Mutakha, Ms Margaret Wambui Ngugi Shava and Mr David Malakwen
Kiprop will now face the interviewing panel on November 28 and 29.
The panel has the delicate task of negotiating the
tricky political and ethnic lines and balancing perceptions that would arise in
its choice.
It is by law required to submit two names of the
people it deems fit for the job to the President, who will select one for
approval by Parliament.
As the returning officer for the presidential
election, the chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission
is an important figure.
Ten other applicants were declared unfit for the
job, among them American Andrew Franklin, Justice Anyara Emukule and Mr Murshid
Abdalla Mohammed, who is a member of the Police Service Commission.
In the long list of
applicants published on Tuesday, Justice Emukule was listed as having failed to
indicate his county of origin and not providing documents showing his
qualifications.
The competition for the
IEBC chairmanship will be among candidates from Murang’a, Kisumu, Kakamega,
Kiambu and Nandi counties.
POLITICAL LEANING
In a country where
associations are made based on one’s ethnic community and apparent political
leaning, the panel’s choice of the two names is bound to be closely watched.
Mr Mereka, who will be
the first to be interviewed, is from Murang’a County. His political
affiliations are unknown but coming from a county neighbouring President Kenyatta’s
Kiambu could be an issue.
He holds a masters
degree in law from the University of Nairobi, where he also obtained his first
degree.
The lawyer has worked
as treasurer of the Football Kenya Elections Board.
Mr Mereka’s masters
thesis is based on legislative and institutional issues that hamper environment
cases.
He had also applied for
the same job in 2009 after the team headed by Samuel Kivuitu was hounded out of
office and the Interim Independent Electoral Commission set up.
CONSIDERED IDEAL
CANDIDATE
Next on the interview
list on November 28 is Ms Odede. The former vice-chairperson of the Judges and
Magistrates Vetting Board is from Kisumu.
She could be considered
an ideal candidate by the opposition and the ruling coalition on the basis of
her origin as well as her background in LSK and the vetting board.
Ms Odede began her practice
in 1993. In 2010, she became a council member of the LSK.
She was also a member
of the Council of Legal Education and in September 2011, joined the vetting
board. She describes herself as having an interest in family and child law as
well as human rights, equity and equality.
Dr Mutakha Kangu will
be interviewed at 3pm on the same Monday. The scholar chaired the task force
that oversaw the development of laws to enable the implementation of devolution
and is considered one of the foremost experts on Kenya’s Constitution.
However, his
association with Cord leader Raila Odinga could cost or benefit him. Interviews
on Tuesday will kick off with Ms Shava. She comes from Kiambu and was a member
of the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission.
The last candidate to
be interviewed will be Mr Kiprop. The University of Nairobi and Kenya School of
Law-trained advocate has been Kenya Commercial Bank company secretary.
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