10 people shortlisted for registrar of parties position

Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung’u. (Photo: File/Standard)

Ten people have been shortlisted for the position of Registrar of Political Parties while twelve have been shortlisted for the position of the assistant of Registrar of Political Parties.

Among those shortlisted for the top position include;
Kennedy Mosoti, Murshid Mohammed, Nancy Dalla, Ann Nderitu, Mary Karen Kigen, Edwin Nge’tich, Henry Rithaa, Edith Nyambura King’ori, Lukas Mwanza and Sheila Yieke.

While those shortlisted for the position of assistant registrar of political parties include; Milly E. Adongo, Hilary Mwaita, Ibrahim Kitoo, Dr. Meshack Lomoywara, Tom Kamaliki, Thomas Soigwa, Kennedy Okemwa, Simon Ndweka, Cephas Kasera, Teresa Onyango, Josephat Palang’a and Evelyne Mwakina.

The positions which were advertised on May 8 came after nearly ten years since the law came into force in 2011, when the office of the Registrar of Political Parties was established through the Political Parties Act which was promulgated in 2011, in line with the requirement of the 2010 Constitution.

The position has since been held by Lucy Ndung’u and Anne Nderitu in an acting capacity for the longest time.
Ms. Ndung’u was the first holder of the office, from 2011 until 2018 when she was appointed to the board of the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ).

Ms. Nderitu was the manager in charge of electoral training at the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) before her appointment came in August 2018 to serve in an acting capacity.

This is the second advertisement done by the public service commission in regards to the position. The first came in October 2012 but the process was cancelled after being challenged in court by some civil society groups.

Activists Samson Ojiayo and Richard Mwenda who had challenged the process argued that the action by PSC to advertise the positions was illegal as there was no provision in law for it to be involved in the process.

According to the sixth schedule of the Political Parties Act, the PSC will following the conclusion of the interviews for the position of registrar, nominate and forward to the President the names of three nominees for appointment and the names of nine nominees for appointment to the office of assistant registrar.

Interviews for the positions will be carried out on June 29 and June 30 respectively. Those who will be appointed will serve for a non-renewable term of six years.

Candidates wishing to fill the positions must hold a degree from any recognized university in Kenya and have 15 years’ experience in either financial matters, management, political science, law, governance or public administration.