The proposed electoral boss, Mr Cecil Guyana Miller, is not new to public legal affairs. He served as an advocate of the High Court for 13 years. Other than serving in the corridors of justice, the son of a former Kenyan Chief Justice also appeared before the Goldenberg Inquiry for, four financial institutions. The institutions – Trust Bank, Pan African Bank, Post Bank Credit and Trade Bank – operating under the state-run Deposit Protection Fund Board collapsed as a result of the scandal Goldenberg.
During the Goldenberg inquiry, it was Mr Miller who dragged former. Cabinet minister Nicholas Biwott into the saga. The lawyer produced documents linking the former minister to Kamlesh Fattni’s Goldenberg International, Last year, the 39-year-old lawyer served as lead counsel in the Kriegler Commission. It is the inquiry’s report that led to formation of the Interim Independent Electoral Commission that he will now head after approval by Parliament The other two contenders short-listed yesterday morning were former long-serving Speaker Francis ole Kaparo and former executive director of Institute of Education and Democracy, Dr Koki While announcing the new appointment, PSC chairman Abdikadir Mohammed said Mr Miller was selected because of his vast knowledge in electoral reforms.
He has a Masters in law degree and he was lead counsel in the Kriegler Commission, which investigated the 2001 election. He impressed us most during the interviews:’ Mr Mohammed said after a PSC meeting at County Hall. And speaking to the Nation later in his office, Mr Miller said his new appointment was a big step in his life. He said there was nothing easy in the practice as ‘clients usually have very high expectations’: One of the major challenges that I am sure we are going to face is legal reforms. There is need to amend the country’s laws that relate to the electoral process,’ Mr Miller noted. At the same time, he denied claims that he had been fronted by PNU. Mr Miller; a father of three, is the team leader at Miller and Company Advocates. His father, Cecil Miller, a Kenyan of South American origin served as the country’s Chief Justice.
He holds a Master in International Law degree with emphasis on International Environmental Law, International Economic Law, United Nations Law and legal aspects of International Finance from Kings College, University of London. He also holds a Bachelor of Law (LLB) from the University of Warwick in UK and post-graduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya. School of Law. By law, the. chairman of the independent electoral body is qualified to be a judge of the High Court. In practice, Mr Miller handles family, commercial and criminal cases and has also prosecuted various criminal eases on behalf of the government. Mr Miller and his team will shoulder the responsibility of reforming Kenya’s electoral process and the management of elections to institutionalize free and fair polls. They are also mandated to establish an efficient and effective secretariat and conduct fresh registration of voters as well as create a new voters’ register.
The new commission’s first assignment after its formation will be to handle the by-elections in Borriachoge, where Mr Joel Onyancha Omagwa was disqualified as MP following a petition last year, and sever-al civic seals, which have fallen vacant for various reasons. Also, the commission will be expected to appear in court as second respondents to 20 parliamentary election petitions suspended for lack of an electoral body.
