The Chief Justice, David Maraga, has today sworn in IEBC selection panel that will take part in setting up the process of recruiting new Commissioners of the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission.
The nine-member committee comprises five nominees from religious organizations and four from the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC). Religious organizations nominated National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) Secretary-General Canon Peter Karanja, Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) chairman Abdulghafur El-Busaidy and Bernadette Musundi to represent the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB).
Others are Bishop David Oginde representing the Evangelical Churches of Kenya (EAK) and Rajesh Rawal for the Hindu Council of Kenya (HCK).
The Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) forwarded the names of Evans Monari and Mary Kigen to represent the ruling Jubilee Coalition and while the CORD will be represented by Justice (Rtd) Tom Mbaluto and Ogla Chepkemoi Karani.
The Selection Panel shall, at its first sitting, elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson from amongst its number after which it will determine its own procedures. The Parliamentary Service Commission will provide secretariat services and facilities required by the Selection Panel in the performance of its functions.
The Selection Panel is expected within seven days of its appointment to invite applications from qualified persons and publish the names of all applicants and their qualifications in the Gazette, two newspapers of national circulation and on the website of the Parliamentary Service Commission.
This comes after Justice David Maraga was sworn in earlier in the day as the Chief Justice Maraga was sworn in at State House, Nairobi after the National Assembly adopted a report last evening by the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee which vetted him.
On his appointment, the 64-year-old jurist said he will do his best to make the judiciary successful, key agenda being to fight corruption and improve service delivery.
The panel comes in at a time when the electioneering period is closing in and the panel will be under a lot of pressure to come up with a commission under a credible process.
