Magistrate Abdulqadir Lorot, who is seeking to become the chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), has assured the selection panel that he will immediately resign from his current position if appointed.
Appearing before the IEBC selection panel, Lorot affirmed his commitment to stepping down from his judicial role, citing precedent where state officers have left their positions upon confirmation to new public offices. He pointed out that similar transitions have occurred in the past, referencing former Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi’s resignation to take up a Cabinet Secretary role.
“There is a precedent that has been set before. I am ready and willing to resign immediately if confirmed as the IEBC chair,” Lorot stated. He emphasized that he applied for the position fully aware that he would be required to vacate his current post should he be successful.
Lorot is currently serving as the Chief Magistrate at the Naivasha Law Courts and boasts 23 years of experience in the judiciary, including time as a judicial trainer. His extensive legal background is seen as an asset in handling the complex responsibilities of leading Kenya’s electoral body.
However, during the interview, Lorot faced a slight setback when he was unable to recall all the constituencies in Kiambu County. When asked by panel member Professor Adams Oloo to name them, he managed to list only eight out of the 12: Githunguri, Kiambaa, Lari, Kikuyu, Thika Town, Ruiru, Gatundu North, and Gatundu South. He failed to mention Kabete, Limuru, Kiambu, and Juja constituencies. This question was meant to assess his grasp of the country’s electoral geography, a crucial aspect of the IEBC chairperson’s role.
The selection panel, led by Dr. Nelson Makanda, is currently conducting interviews at the College of Insurance in South C, Nairobi. A total of 11 candidates have been shortlisted for the position, with the successful candidate set to succeed the late Wafula Chebukati, who completed his six-year term in 2023 and passed away last month.
The ongoing interviews aim to identify the most suitable candidate to steer the electoral commission ahead of the 2027 general elections.
