A youth lobby group wants the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Selection Panel to explain the criteria used to eliminate youth applicants from the shortlist for consideration.

Through Onkendi Ombiro Company Advocates, the Notable National Youth Leaders Caucus’ Alex Matere and Inter-Party Youth Forum’s Kidi Mwaga have written to the Dr Nelson Makanda-led panel to review the selection process and incorporate qualified youth candidates who meet the constitutional and legal thresholds.

The youth leaders argue that the shortlist has no youth representation despite applications by hundreds of young candidates who met the constitutional requirements to be commissioners, as evidenced in the long list published in the dailies.

“Our clients, the youth, demand to know the criteria used to eliminate all these deserving youth candidates. Our clients further condemn the systemic exclusion and demand that the panel immediately reviews and rectifies this discriminatory oversight,” the letter reads in part.

The lobby group further contends that the current process is evidently flawed with a designed outcome.

“Should our grievances remain unaddressed within 48 hours, the youth of Kenya shall explore all legal and constitutional avenues available to challenge this exclusion, including but not limited to mass action, litigation and seeking parliamentary intervention,” they demand.

Matere and Mwaga claim that the published list has new entrants who were not on the long list that was published on March 6, 2025, and instead only appeared on an addendum published list on Friday.

Questionable  characters

“Our clients, the youth were not aware that the application period had been extended. Furthermore, the tainted shortlist includes money launderers, individuals charged with economic crimes and persons with active and pending corruption cases,” reads part of the letter.

In addition, the duo further contends that the shortlist has names of political party operatives, including party officials and others still actively serving in party organs, Officers who were fired for corruption as well as those impeached from various positions.

 “Our clients reject in total a process that will give birth to the same tainted election officials whose actions, by omission or commission, almost always lead to the loss of many youths’ lives,” they contend.

The duo also wants a revocation of the published shortlist and issuance of a new shortlist to include 50 per cent being youth and the disabled and in line with the Constitutional principle of Inclusivity considering that the youth constitute 70 per cent of the Kenyan population.

“A publication of the criteria used in the selection and elimination of the applicants in line with the right to access information as enshrined in Article 35 (1) (a) & (b) of the 2010 Constitution,” reads part of the lobby group’s demand.

Matere and Mwaga expressed their profound disappointment and outright rejection of the shortlist of candidates for appointment as the Chairperson and Commissioners of the IEBC published on March 14, 2025.

“The youth are dismayed by the outright omission of young, qualified, and competent individuals from the list, despite the constitutional and statutory provisions that promote inclusivity, fair representation, and equal opportunities for all citizens,” reads part of the letter to the IEBC selection panel.

Already, the panel for the recruitment of the IEBC Chairperson has shortlisted eleven candidates to fill the vacancy left following the end of the tenure of the late Wafula Chebukati.

The names, published on Friday by the Selection Panel feature former Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Anne Amadi, former Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) chairman Charles Nyachae, Abdulqadir Lorot Ramadhan and Edward Katama Ngeywa.

Others are Erastus Edung Ethekon, Francis Kakai Kissinger, Joy Brenda Masinde-Mdivo, Jacob Ngwele, Lilian Wanjiku Manegene, Robert Akumu Asembo and Saul Simiyu Wasilwa.