Five to fight it out for electoral body's top job

In Summary

• 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.
• Ten other applicants have been declared unfit for the job, among them American Andrew Franklin, Justice Anyara Emukule and Mr Murshid Abdalla Mohammed.

By JOHN NGIRACHU
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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