Former IEBC CEO James Oswago is among 25 people seeking to replace Wafula Chebukati as chairman of the electoral agency - a lucrative but 'jinxed' job that has killed careers in recent years.
In the last two decades, only Chebukati and commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu have served a full term of six years.
The Star on Wednesday established that Oswago is hoping to make a comeback at the IEBC after his controversial exit nine years ago.
Also in the race to replace Chebukati is former Trans Nzoia assembly speaker David Sifuna.
Lawyers Ndegwa Gatama and Aggrey Kidiavai are also in the list of the 25 being considered by the seven-member panel.
Oswago and his then deputy Wilson Shollei were convicted on December 5 of irregularities in the tender for supply of voter materials for the 2013 general election.
Senior principal magistrate Felix Kombo found that the prosecution proved its case in nailing the two over charges of abuse of office and wilful failure to comply with procurement laws. He gave each the option of a four-year jail sentence or pay Sh7.5 million fine.
Oswago and Shollei opted to pay the fines. The former CEO has since appealed his conviction.
Sifuna had run-ins with MCAs who at one time in 2020 impeached him over alleged abuse of office.
The Star could only confirm four names names as the IEBC panel promised to make public the 920 applications after concluding the ongoing sifting process.
The team guiding the recruitment of the next IEBC on Tuesday declared it will not shy away from readvertising the positions after receiving only 25 applicants who showed interest in replacing Chebukati.
IEBC panel chairman Nelson Makanda disclosed that his team received 920 applications after the March 28 deadline, with the remaining 895 applying for the six commissioners’ posts.
“As at the 5pm deadline, the preliminary perusal of physical and electronic records indicate that nine online applications and 16 hard copy applications for chairperson of the IEBC had been received,” Makanda said in a statement.
“Further, the preliminary examinations of our records indicate that a total of 385 hard copy applications and 515 online applications had been received for the positions of six commissioners of the IEBC.”
The number – he added – could shrink after the applications undergo sieving to weed out suspected duplications.
Makanda did not, however, disclose some of the names yearning to superintend the 2027 elections.
The revelations firm up claims that Kenyans could be shying away from seeking to replace Chebukati as the new electoral commission chairman — men of honour have exited in dispute.
But Makanda is of different opinion, saying the level of interest is above the last exercise that resulted in the hiring of Chebukati’s team.
In 2016, the panel was forced to readvertise after initially receiving 15 applications for chair.
The number shot to 30 after the readvertisement.
"We are not worried at all about the small number of those who have applied to be chairperson of the committee, even when the Chebukati team was applying to serve, they were forced to re-advertise the position. So I want to believe we are okay this time round," Makanda said.
The jobs were advertised on March 7.
For the last 20 years, nearly all electoral commission chairpersons have left office under a cloud of controversy, making the job one of the riskiest in Kenya. Losers complain and charge all manner of political malpractice.
The panel now embarks on the long listing exercise of the applications and crosschecking for applicants with multiple applications through both physical and electronic submissions.
The panel will thereafter proceed to shortlist applicants for the positions of chairperson and members of the IEBC.
“Thereafter the longlist and shortlist of applicants will be published in the local dailies, the Kenya Gazette and on the Parliamentary Service Commission website to give members of the public an opportunity to submit memoranda to the panel on any information of interest concerning the suitability of the shortlisted nominees as part of the public participation process, as required by the law,” Makanda’s statement said.
The development comes at a time when Azimio leader Raila Odinga has scaled up his political war with President William Ruto where, among his demands is halting the IEBC recruitment process to allow for inclusivity of all stakeholders.
The former Prime Minister has maintained that without proper reconstitution there is no need of having elections in 2027.
“Given the central role of the IEBC as referee in our elections and with the memories of 2007 poll violence still with us, we support calls to stop Kenya Kwanza from singlehandedly picking the new commissioners of the IEBC,” Raila said on Sunday during People’s Baraza in Trans Nzoia.
The panel chairperson defended his team, saying their existence is in line with the amended law passed by Parliament.
“We have applications from all counties, it just tells you that there is confidence in the process. In as much as there is contestation about politics, somebody must do this job,” Makanda said.
“We must be able to constitute a commission in place and when politicians agree they can change the law and Kenyans will follow the law that will be put in place. We are faithful to the task.”
After the interviews, the selection panel shall select two people qualified to be appointed as chairperson and nine persons qualified to be appointed as members of the commission.
They then forward the names to the President for the nomination of one person for appointment as the chairperson and six persons for appointment as members.
It is from this that the President shall, within seven days of receipt of the names, forward the list of nominees to the National Assembly for approval in accordance with the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act.
The President shall, within seven days of receipt of the names approved by the National Assembly, by notice in the Gazette, appoint the chairperson and the members of the commission.