Political parties differ on new IEBC chief Chiloba

NAIROBI: Political parties Tuesday expressed divergent views on the newly appointed Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Ezra Chiloba Simiyu who was picked by IEBC commissioners as the new CEO and Secretary to the Commission on Monday evening faces a herculean task, according to some party chiefs.

TNA Chairman Johnson Sakaja, URP Secretary General Fred Muteti and Kanu Secretary General Nick Salat welcomed the appointment of Simiyu and said he must now get down to work immediately.

But Wiper Party leader and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka scoffed at the appointment saying IEBC still faces credibility questions, which cannot be addressed by the naming of a new CEO.

"Please allow me to reserve my comments on the personality of the CEO. My views on the entire IEBC are well documented and this appointment doesn't cure the credibility problem," Kalonzo said.

And ODM, which is Wiper's partner in CORD, said it was yet to come up with a common position on the man who will replace James Oswago.

Oswago allegedly received part of a bribe codenamed "chicken" from the Kenyan agent of the UK printing firm Smith and Ouzman Limited. He denied the allegations.

Secretary General Ababu Namwamba told The Standard that the Orange party will meet soon to evaluate the person before issuing a common position.

The ODM spokesman, however, said as an individual he had received some information to the effect that Simiyu left UNDP in unclear circumstances and wondered if IEBC had carried out due diligence before naming him.

"The little I have heard is that he left the UN under a cloud; some diplomat describes him as a man who talks so much but delivers nothing. The diplomat called me and asked that if he left the UN because he was a non-performer, how come he has now been handed a position that is one hundred times more demanding. We are not sure if the IEBC did a background check on him," Ababu added.

But while dismissing the sentiments from Namwamba, IEBC Commissioner Thomas Letangule insisted that the new CEO had undergone thorough vetting that convinced the commission that he was the right man for the job.

Mr Letangule explained that after the vetting process done by PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PWC), Chiloba's name was among those published in the dailies as shortlisted, with Kenyans being called to give their views on the candidates' suitability.

"As far as we are concerned, there is not a single person who filed any complaint about his competence," said Letangule