The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has explained why foreign nationals appeared on the list of 304 applicants for the position of Commission Secretary/Chief Executive Officer.
In a statement, IEBC confirmed that all foreign applicants were eliminated during the preliminary assessment because they did not meet the Kenyan citizenship requirement.
According to the commission, national identification documents and citizenship status were checked before candidates were selected for the final stage.
“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 stated.
Additionally, the commission maintained that receiving applications from foreign nationals did not amount to an irregularity, noting that anyone could submit an application but only those who met the stipulated qualifications would proceed.
The inclusion of foreign names followed an open recruitment process in which applications were invited from the public through newspapers, its website and social media platforms.
Furthermore , IEBC said it published the names of all 304 applicants in line with Articles 35 and 232 of the Constitution, which provide for transparency and fair competition in public recruitment.
