Interview for EACC bosses commences today

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) CEO Halakhe Waqo. [Elvis Ogina/Standard]

The search for the next Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission CEO starts today, with five of the 14 candidates facing the interview panel.

The successful candidate will take over from Halakhe Waqo, whose term has expired. Mr Waqo has held the position for six years.

Interviews for the shortlisted candidates have been set to run up to December 3. The current deputy CEO, Michael Mubea Kamau, Head of Investigations Abdi Ahmed Mohamud and Director, Preventive and Field Services Vincent Okong’o are among the candidates.

Today, former Kisumu County secretary Humphrey Nakitari, former National Police Service Commission member Murshid Mohamed, Lucy Wanja Kinuthia, Joel Mabonga and Twalib Mbaraki will be interviewed.

Mr Mabonga, the former Independent Policing Oversight Authority CEO, holds a doctorate while Nakitari, who is also a former district commissioner, has a postgraduate degree from the University of Nairobi (UoN). 

Mr Mbaraki, who is currently the security and integrity manager at the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (Kengen), holds a Master of Arts degree in armed conflict and peace studies from UoN.

Mr Mohamud, a career detective with DCI and a former OCPD, was seconded to the former Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, now EACC, before he took over in his current position in 2012. Mr Mohamed holds a LLM (constitutional law), LLB and BA in political science, all from MS University of Baroda in India. He is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Public Secretaries of Kenya.

Tomorrow, Mohamud, former Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) spokesman Cyrus Oguna, former Judges and Magistrates Vetting Board head of secretariat Reuben Chirchir, Chege Muchiri and Jillo Kasse will be interviewed.

Col (Rtd) Oguna has a masters' degree in political science from the UoN while Mr Chirchir has a degree from the UoN and postgraduate diplomas from Pune University in India and the University of Edinburg. 

On December 3, Mubea, Mr Okong’o, economist Sarah Kilemi and James Warui, from the Office of the DPP, will be interviewed.

Mubea joined EACC in 2013. He was a managing partner at Michael Daud Associates & Co Advocates. Apart from his LLB (Hon) degree from UoN, Mubea also holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Osmania University, Hyderabad, India. He is pursuing a master's degree in international relations and diplomacy at Kenyatta University.

Dr Kilemi holds a PhD in development economics and international development from RWTH Aachen University, a second doctorate in humanity from Bethel College (US) and a postgraduate diploma in international human rights law, gender and sexuality from Oxford University.

Mr Warui, an assistant DPP, has worked as a State prosecutor for 18 years while Okong'o, a Makerere University alumnus, has worked as an economist, researcher and policy analyst for the past 20 years.

Commission Chairman Eliud Wabukala said 71 applications were received and were shortlisted to 14.

The public had been asked to send affidavits with supporting evidence to contest the suitability of any of the people shortlisted.

The name of the successful candidate will be forwarded to the National Assembly for vetting and approval.