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A candidate for the position of commissioner at the electoral agency found himself on the receiving end after it emerged that he holds three public offices contrary to the law.

Dr Abdirizak Aralé Nunow is a board member of the Competition Authority of Kenya, Refugees’ Council and a lecturer at Moi University.

Questioned by a member of the selection panel, Joseph Mutunga, whether he was aware that holding more than one State office is illegal,  Nunow defended himself, saying his positions were ceremonial, since he only draws allowances.

“In the university I am just a lecturer. I hold no other position. I am not a dean, and therefore one cannot state that I am a State official,”   Nunow told the panel.

He was also hard-pressed to explain why the Yash Pal Ghai led-Constitution of Kenya Review Commission, which he was a member of, failed to deliver a Constitution.

Nunow, while confirming that he was a commissioner in the review body defended it, saying it played its roles well only for the Executive to interfere by watering down the draft.

 “As a commission, we played our part well. We only failed due to the interference by the Executive.

The document we prepared was watered down in Kilifi by the then Attorney General Amos Wako. This is a documented fact ,” Nunow  said.

Nunow, who also served in the Interim Independent Electoral Commission, said the body failed due to interference by the Executive.

Electoral agency

Asked whether he will allow the same to happen to the electoral agency should he be picked as a member, Nunow said the Executive no longer has a leeway to interfere with independent bodies, since they are protected by the Constitution.

“The old way of doing things are long gone, independent bodies like IEBC are guarded by the Constitution,” he added.

Another candidate, Ann Mwikali, said she was best suited to be a member of the electoral body having engaged in electoral matters in the past.

“I have been a player in electoral matters and so understands what awaits me if I am confirmed,” Mwikali told the panel.

Mwikali said the most urgent task will be to review electoral boundaries, which has been a thorny issue.

“This is a people driven process that addresses the issue of population, needs of the people and hence to be attended to with caution,” Mwikali said.

Interviews continue today with three more candidates expected to face the panelists.