IEBC nominee Hassan Noor confirms Junet Mohamed kinship, vows no bias if appointed

IEBC commissioner nominee Hassan Noor Hassan has confirmed that he is the brother-in-law of Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, who also doubles up as the Minority Leader in the National Assembly.

Appearing before the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee on Saturday, Hassan was questioned about allegations raised in affidavits concerning his relationship with the MP.

"Mr Chairman, I am related to Honourable Junet Mohamed. I am his brother-in-law," stated Hassan.

"And as his brother-in-law, I existed long before Junet was born."

Hassan maintained that his family connection to Junet Mohamed would have no influence on his duties if appointed to the IEBC.

The committee chair accepted the clarification, noting that the answer was necessary for public transparency.

While the committee noted that being related to a political leader is not inherently problematic, they underscored that such a relationship must be taken into account if Hassan is appointed to the electoral body.

They stressed the importance of guarding against both actual and perceived bias, particularly given the sensitive role the IEBC plays in managing Kenya’s elections.