City lawyer proposed for top electoral job

By Beuttah Omanga

The wait for the composition of a new electoral body may be over after city lawyer Ahmed Issack Hassan was proposed chairman of the Interim Independent Electoral Commission.

The 27-member committee that met yesterday nominated Hassan ‘unanimously’ but the youthful lawyer will await Parliament’s approval.

Ahmed Issack Hassan now awaits Parliament’s approval to become IIEC chairman. [PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE/STANDARD]

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Earlier, reports had indicated a split could face the PSC, between Hassan and former Speaker Francis ole Kaparo.

But several factors worked against Kaparo, leaving the PSC undivided on the name of the University of Nairobi-educated lawyer.

Non-alligned

Sources said Hassan was picked on grounds that he was seen to be politically non-aligned.

Before the names were floated, some PSC members indicated that Kaparo was most suitable courtesy of his record stint as Speaker.

"Some members had indicated their preference for Kaparo but ODM members in the PSC opposed the proposal citing his age and saying he did not represent the youth. They also said he was likely to bend towards PNU," said a PNU member on condition of anonymity.

During the election for Speaker last year, the PNU side overwhelmingly voted for Kaparo only for him to lose narrowly to Kenneth Marende.

Briefing the Press after a five-hour meeting at the County Hall, PSC chairman Abdikadir Mohammed said: "We unanimously settled for Hassan after considering his professionalism, qualification and merit."

"We all agreed as a team on Hassan and did not have to take a vote. It is our hope that Parliament will this time round see the urgency of having a electoral body and agree with the list we have arrived at today," said Abdikadir.

Accompanied by PSC Vice Chairman Ababu Namwamba and South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara, Abdikadir said the committee had also nominated Abiud Wasike and Mwagadi Mwasigedu as commissioners for Western and Coast Provinces. They replaced Charles Masinde (Western) and Suleiman Buku (Coast), who were rejected.

Other IIEC provincial nominees, retained from the earlier list, were Ms Tiyah Galgalo (North Eastern), Ms Hamara Ibrahim Adan (Eastern), Mr Kenneth Nyaundi (Nyanza), Dr Yusuf Nzibo (Nairobi), Ms Winfred Waceke Guchu (Central) and Mr Davis Chirchir (Rift Valley).

The six nominees had been picked earlier alongside city lawyer Cecil Miller only for Parliament to reject them after it voted against Miller.

Reached for comment, Hassan said he was delighted to have been nominated by the PSC.

"I feel honoured and privileged. But I have my fingers crossed until Parliament passes the verdict before I can say anything," he told The Standard yesterday.

Over looked

Yesterday, the PSC over looked 11 other applicants they had short-listed; Hassan, J H O Oswago, Duncan Mwanyumba, Jane Nyaboke Njagi and Wainaina Kagwe. Others were Maina Kiai, Koki Muli, Alice Yano, Maina Wachira and Abdi Mohammed, who had lost to Miller.

Another top contender lawyer Pheroze Nowrojee withdrew a day to D-day following alleged political interference. After clearing yesterday’s hurdle, Hassan will now be subjected to scrutiny by Parliament.

Should he sail through, first in his docket will be the Bomachoge Constituency by-election following nullification of Joel Onyancha’s election.

Hassan, who has practiced law since 1995, was also the youngest member to the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission (CKRC), which he served from November 2000 to January 2006.

CKRC was a statutory body established under an Act of Parliament, with 29 members picked by the President with the House’s approval to review the Constitution.

Born on March 2 1970, Hassan a father of two, graduated from University of Nairobi in 1992 with a Bachelors Degree in Law.

He enrolled for a postgraduate Diploma in Law at Kenya School of Law in 1994.

He was a recipient of the Sakarben Sheth Award for being the best student in the second year law class of the faculty of law in the academic year 1990/91.

He came up as an A student emerging the best in North Eastern Province in O-level exams in 1986 and in the A-Levels in 1988.

He is currently a partner in the law firm of Ibrahim, Issack and Company Advocates.

He is a legal consultant to the UNDP-Somalia on the war-torn country’s constitution making project.

He also served on the Kiruki Commission of Inquiry into the activities of the Artur brothers.

Legal consultant

He served as a legal consultant to the United Nations Political office for Somalia (UNPOS), in the training of Somali MPs on constitution and federal affairs.

The lawyer is also a member of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya and the Association of Professional Societies of East Africa.

He has written several books among them Divorce in the Somali Community, the Impact of Education on the Somali Woman Kenyan Somalis-In search of Identity.

He also authored Draft Constitution for a federal Republic of Somalia.