The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has explained why foreign nationals appeared on the list of 304 applicants for the Commission Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position, saying the vacancy was advertised openly but only Kenyan citizens qualified for shortlisting.
In a statement, the Commission said foreign nationals who applied for the position were disqualified at the preliminary stage because Kenyan citizenship was a mandatory requirement in the recruitment process.
“Upon verification of national ID, citizenship and academic credentials, the final shortlist contains ONLY Kenyan citizens. All foreign applicants were disqualified at the preliminary stage for not meeting the citizenship requirement,” IEBC said.
IEBC noted that publishing the names of all applicants was in line with constitutional requirements on transparency, access to information and fair competition in public service recruitment.
“In compliance with Article 35 and Article 232 of the Constitution on transparency and fair competition, the Commission published the full list of all the 304 applicants,” the Commission said.
The electoral agency said the vacancy was advertised through newspapers, its website and social media platforms, meaning it could not control who submitted applications.
“Any person can apply, but not everyone qualifies,” IEBC said, adding that receiving applications from foreign nationals was normal for an open advertisement and did not constitute an anomaly.
IEBC contracted KPMG Kenya to manage the recruitment process, including advertisement, receipt of applications, longlisting, verification and shortlisting.
Besides Kenyan citizenship, the advertised position required applicants to hold a degree recognised in Kenya, have at least five years of senior management experience and meet the integrity requirements under Chapter Six of the Constitution and the IEBC Act.
The Commission urged Kenyans to disregard attempts to politicise the recruitment process.
