Ahmed Hassan Issack, the former Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), has been named among the 41 candidates shortlisted for the position of Court of Appeal Judge. This decision came after Chief Justice Martha Koome, leading the Judicial Service Commission, narrowed down the list from 82 applicants.

Surprisingly absent from the list was Wafula Chebukati, the immediate past IEBC Chairperson, whose application did not make it to the shortlist.

The shortlisted candidates include not only Hassan but also justices Chacha Mwita, Athony Murima, Grace Nzioka, James Wakiaga, and Dalmas Omondi.

"The JSC, having reviewed the application for completeness and conformity with the requirements as set out in the advertisement, shortlisted 41 candidates," stated the notice.

In a call for public input, Koome invited comments on the conduct of the shortlisted candidates by May 13, 2024.

Interviews for the candidates are scheduled to begin on June 3 at 9:00 am and conclude on June 20 at the Central Bank of Kenya's Pension Towers along Harambee Avenue.

The competition is fierce as the 41 candidates vie for 11 vacancies for the position of Court of Appeal Judge, a role advertised by the JSC at the start of February.

Chebukati, who assumed the IEBC Chairmanship in 2017 and left shortly after overseeing the 2022 General Election, did not make the cut. Meanwhile, Hassan served as IEBC Chair from November 2011 to October 6, 2016.