IEBC suffers low public trust, Cecilia Ngoyoni tells panel

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) lacks public confidence, a panel interviewing candidates heard on Thursday.

Cecilia Ngoyoni, who interviewed for IEBC commissioner job in the afternoon, said the agency’s main challenges include lack of public trust, poor communication and external interference.

“IEBC suffers from low public confidence. Going forward, there is need to manage the perception because during elections.. public perception is as good as reality. We also need to improve our trust with various stakeholders,” she told the panelists.

Ngoyoni was responding to a question on what she would do to improve the electoral board's image should she be successful in the interviews.

“IEBC has not had very good communication avenues in the past. If you don’t communicate well, the public will think you are hiding something,” she noted.  

Ngoyoni, who has previously served in IEBC in 2012, argued that Kenya’s electoral process is highly emotive and that the country needs to go back to the drawing board and review its legal framework in terms of how commissions are run.

In regard to security during elections, the interviewee said the IEBC should at all times involve police in its operations.

“We will need to work with the police, and engage with other stakeholders deliberately to ensure a smooth process,” she said.

Cecilia Ngoyoni is a State officer attached to the Office of the President, and the third candidate to face the selection panel on Day Two of the search.

 Caroline Njeri and Dr. Catherine Kamindo were the first and second to be interviewed respectively.

Thirty five (35) candidates are seeking four positions at the agency. One candidate, Abdalla Mohamed withdrew his application on Wednesday after it emerged he had forged his academic certificates.

A seven-member selection panel chaired by Dr. Elizabeth Muli is interviewing the candidates until July 22.