The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has re-advertised the Chief Executive Officer position after few Kenyans applied to replace Ezra Chiloba.
Through a notice in the local dailies on Tuesday, IEBC said those who had applied earlier should repeat the process as indicated on the website.
The new deadline for those interested to submit their applications is June 3, 2019.
Chiloba was sacked on October 12 last year for failing to honour summons to appear before a disciplinary committee over audit queries.
His job was then advertised on January 18 this year and qualified candidates given until January 31, 2019 to apply.
During the months leading up to Chiloba’s sacking, IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati walked a tight rope with only two commissioners: Boya Molu and Abdi Yakub, by his side.
Connie Nkatha, Margaret Mwachanya and Paul Kurgat had quit as commissioners in April, six months after Dr. Roseline Akombe walked away.
Months later, there was drama after the High Court ruled that the commissioners who resigned were still in office.
The standoff pitting Chebukati against Chiloba underscored the leadership crises that perennially rocked the electoral body.
Chiloba also claimed that there was a “major governance crisis” at the IEBC that will apparently affect even the next office holder.
In February this year, the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommended that the commission be disbanded and criminal proceedings instituted on both serving and former commissioners.
According to the Opiyo Wandayi-led committee, IEBC commissioners including the chairman were involved in tender wars that led to the bungling of the 2017 General Election.
PAC, in the report, has trained its guns on IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati, its former Vice Chair Consolata Nkatha and commissioners Margaret Mwachanya, Prof. Abdi Guliye, Boya Molu and Amb.
Paul Kurgat. Kurgat, Mwachanya and Nkatha have since resigned from the commission.
The committee further found the commissioners at fault and in conflict of interest for holding brief for companies bidding for tenders at the commission.
As such, PAC says the commission was embroiled in tender wars that compromised the 2017 General Election.
Chebukati has been indicted in the audit for alleged conflict of interest, with the committee claiming that the commission would give cases to a law firm that he founded but never disclosed conflict of interest.
As for Chiloba, the audit report wants him investigated for unprocedurally signing off over Ksh.4billion worth of contracts for IEBC without contractors providing performance guarantees.
PAC has recommended that Chiloba be further investigated and if found culpable, criminal proceedings to be instituted against him.
