The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has clarified that only Kenyan citizens were shortlisted for the position of Commission Secretary/Chief Executive Officer after 304 people applied for the job.

In a statement, the commission said foreign nationals who applied for the position were eliminated at the preliminary stage after verification of their citizenship and academic credentials.

The clarification followed questions arising from the publication of the names of all 304 applicants for the senior electoral management position.

IEBC said the decision to publish the full list was intended to promote transparency and comply with constitutional requirements on access to information and fair competition.

“In compliance with Article 35 and Article 232 of the Constitution on transparency and fair competition, the Commission published the full list of all 304 applicants,” IEBC stated.

The commission contracted KPMG Kenya to oversee the recruitment process, including advertisement of the position, receipt of applications, long-listing, verification and shortlisting.

The position, it said, was advertised openly in newspapers, on the IEBC website and across its social media platforms.

According to the commission, the presence of foreign names on the published list did not mean that non-Kenyans had been considered for the final position.

“We cannot control who applies,” the commission said, adding that some applicants were of foreign nationalities.

“This is normal for any open advertisement and does not constitute an anomaly. Any person can apply, but not everyone qualifies,” IEBC noted.

The commission said citizenship was among the mandatory requirements for the position and was verified before candidates were shortlisted.

The successful applicants were required to be Kenyan citizens, hold a degree recognised in Kenya, have at least five years’ senior management experience and meet the requirements of Chapter Six of the Constitution and the IEBC Act.

“Upon verification of national ID, citizenship and academic credentials, the final shortlist contains ONLY Kenyan citizens,” the commission said.

Foreign applicants, it added, were disqualified during the preliminary stage because they did not meet the citizenship requirement.

The commission said the recruitment was being conducted through a process designed to ensure professionalism and independence in filling the position of the electoral body's chief executive.

“The commission assures the public that the process remains transparent, competitive and merit-based,” it said.

IEBC urged the public to disregard what it described as attempts to politicise the recruitment process.

The clarification comes as the commission prepares to complete the recruitment of a substantive Commission Secretary/CEO.

The position plays a central role in the administration of elections and the day-to-day operations of the electoral body.