Inaugural Nairobi county assembly clerk Jacob Ngwele is credited for building the institution from scratch in 2013 when it only existed on paper.
And now with his eye set for the chairperson of IEBC, his former colleagues at the assembly think his past wins will come to his advantage.
Ngwele led the assembly, creating its secretariat and structures and remaining the sound voice amid political bickering between ODM and TNA at the time.
His colleagues say if he dealt successfully with the intimidation and bullying that came with city politics and served out his term until 2022, he has the thick skin and stamina to lead the electoral agency.
The 47-year-old has been shortlisted alongside legal titans such as former Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution chairperson Charles Nyachae, former Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Anne Amadi, Kenya Power chairperson Joy Mdivo and lawyer Robert Asembo.
The interviews are set for Tuesday next week. Ngwele declined to be interviewed for this story, only expressing gratitude for being shortlisted.
“I won’t speak for the media at this time, and I can only say that the fact that my credentials can get the attention of the panel is a great gesture. My work in both the public sector and in my practice of law is in the public domain,” he told the Star.
Gavin Castro, who succeeded Ngwele as acting clerk at the assembly, described the seasoned lawyer as a workhorse who only gets satisfied when the goal he set his mind on is achieved.
“What I know about him is that he is a hard worker whose work ethics will be fully appreciated by all Kenyans, should he get the chance to serve,” Castro told the Star.
“The man would come to the office as early as 6am and leave past 7pm when he served as clerk. He created the assembly from scratch.”
Ngwele’s capacity to navigate complex pressure-filled situations is the right fit for the electoral agency, especially ahead of the high-stake 2027 elections.
During the first assembly, ODM and TNA only had a difference of two members. The mood was often tense and debate contentious, which only a sober mind could handle.
“I remember that bringing the teams together to have business transacted at the assembly was a hard task. It would take the cool mind of the clerk to broker a compromise to diffuse the stalemate,” Castro said.
“His institution-building skills and capacity to bridge two hostile divides easily without taking a partisan side is a key credential.”
Others who worked with Ngwele said he is a leader who does not take things personally and has grace to accept correction and diverse views.
Admitted to the bar in 2007, Ngwele joined parliamentary service in 2010 as assistant clerk to different committees of the National Assembly.
He later took charge of the Energy and Delegated legislation committees, before rising in ranks to a senior legal counsel. He currently practices law at Ngwele and Company LLP Advocates, where he is the managing partner.
The firm’s website describes him as a “leading expert in Parliamentary Practice and Procedure…devolution and legislative drafting, policy development and analysis; public finance management; dispute resolution; electoral and democratic processes; constitutional and administrative law and public procurement law”.
“Ngwele is also a seasoned litigator where he has handled complex cases with appearances at the High Court and Court of Appeal of Kenya and many specialised courts and tribunals,” the website states.
His credentials, as outlined on the
site, include a Postgraduate Diploma from the Kenya School of Law,
an LLB from Karnatak University
Dharwad.
