ELOG Statement on Release of Full IEBC Recruitment Report

The Elections Observation Group (ELOG) has today released a statement upon the completion of recruitment for the members and Chairperson of the IEBC being undertaken by the IEBC Selection Panel.

Taking an electoral cycle approach, ELOG has been monitoring and tracking the ongoing IEBC recruitment interviews being undertaken by the Panel (appointed through Gazette Notice No. 715; 27th January 2025), which started on 24th March 2025.

On 6th May 2025, the Selection Panel submitted its report to the President on the recruitment process of Chair and members of IEBC Panel. A total of 11 candidates were shortlisted and interviewed for the position of Chairperson and 107 for the position of members of the Commission.

We commend the Panel for conducting interviews in an open and transparent manner. The manner in which the interviews were conducted allowed citizens to see how candidates were assessed. Further, public scrutiny enabled people to observe the process and pushed the panel to make decisions based on merit rather than favoritism or corruption. Our only concern during this process was the addition of 6 more names to the shortlist without clear information to the public on why this was done.

Following the completion of the exercise, ELOG is concerned that the report was only submitted to the President and was not made public. Accordingly, therefore, we demand the immediate release of the full recruitment report. Transparency and accountability through the observance of open data principles are fundamental for good governance and withholding of this report undermines public trust, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the recruitment exercise, which has so far been done in a mostly transparent manner. The failure to release the recruitment report will only deepen suspicions and promote unnecessary speculations.

Public trust in electoral institutions is critical not only because elections are a "people process" but also because it is an integral part of enhancing the credibility of electoral processes.

For media inquiries, please contact us on info@elog.or.ke