The clarification comes days after IEBC published the names of all applicants and candidates shortlisted for interviews for the top position.
IEBC chairperson Erastus Ethekon, flanked by senior police chiefs during a press briefing on election preparedness on July 14, 2026. Photo NPS 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 amid public concern over the recruitment process.
In a statement issued on October 30, the commission confirmed that all foreign applicants were eliminated during the preliminary assessment because they did not meet the Kenyan citizenship requirement.
IEBC explained that 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,” the statement read.
An image of a podium by the IEBC in readiness for a presser at Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi on August 5. Kenyans.co.ke The clarification came after questions emerged on social media over the presence of foreign nationals on the list, with Nigerians reportedly among them, despite Kenyan citizenship being a mandatory requirement for the position.
IEBC 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.
It said 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.
The commission 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.
IEBC reiterated that applicants were also required to have a degree recognised in Kenya, at least five years of senior management experience and satisfy the leadership and integrity provisions under Chapter Six of the Constitution and the IEBC Act.
It also revealed that it had contracted KPMG Kenya to oversee the recruitment process, including advertising the vacancy, receiving applications, conducting the initial assessment, verifying credentials and preparing the shortlist.
The final shortlist, published on October 28, contains nine Kenyan candidates, among them former Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) CEO Halakhe Waqo and National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) CEO Anthony Omerikwa.
Other shortlisted candidates are Harley Mutisya, Edmund Odiwuor Malitt, Andrew Gitau Kimani, Mohamed Abdullahi Abdi, Edward Katama Ngeywa, Martina Wato Yattani and Nelly Ilongo.
Interviews have been scheduled for November 12 and 13 as the commission seeks to fill the top position substantively ahead of the 2027 General Election, with Deputy Commission Secretary for Operations Ruth Kulundu currently serving in an acting capacity.
