Charles Nyachae explains why he quit low pressure job with Ksh250K monthly pay
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson candidate Charles Nyachae on Monday, March 24, 2025, defended his abrupt resignation from the East African Court of Justice (EACJ).
Nyachae told the IEBC selection panel that he tendered his resignation around 2023 after concluding that he was not adding value to the regional court.
Nyachae narrated that his role at EACJ was not a full-time job, but he was only required to be available on specific days. Being an ad hoc court, they only convened for four sessions in a year.
However, Nyachae stated that some of the sessions ended up being cancelled due to financial issues, thus leaving them with no work to do.
After evaluating the situation, Nyachae detailed that he decided to resign despite earning over Ksh250,000 per month (USD 2,000).
“I resigned from the East African Court of Justice. The EA Court of Justice is an ad hoc court, meaning it is not full-time and operates on a specific calendar. There are four sessions in a year, but each session is often cancelled due to financial issues,” Nyachae stated.
“During this time, I was earning $2,000 per month for doing nothing. I felt that I was not adding value to the people of East Africa by remaining in a court that hardly operated,” he told the selection panel.
“Most of my colleagues, the judges of the EA Court of Justice, are also judges in the National Court, so cancelling a session is quite inconvenient for them but they just go on delivering in the National Court,” he further defended his decision to leave the job.
He was fronted by former President Uhuru Kenyatta after he failed to clinch a position in the East Africa Legislative Assembly.
I will not quit
Nyachae made the revelations after the selection panel chairperson Nelson Makanda asked him if he would quit if appointed the next IEBC chairperson. However, he made it clear that he would not resign if picked to succeed the late Wafula Chebukati.
On his suitability for the role, Nyachae spoke highly of his skills and how his professional experience had shaped him to take up the IEBC chairperson’s role.
“In terms of skills and disciplines, my formal qualification is in law. I have developed a strong interest in governance and have taken the initiative to pursue it further. In fact, I am a PhD student in leadership and governance, so I have a keen interest in this field,” Nyachae detailed.
Nyachae said his legal background, governance, and leadership expertise will help unite diverse competencies in the commission.
” I, with eight other colleagues, served as members of the commission for the implementation of the Constitution. In that process, my passion for the Constitution of Kenya 2010 grew even higher and that passion continues to date,” Nyachae stated.
“I was privileged to work with one of the panellists, Dr. Koki Muli. I learnt a lot in that context on everything that surrounds electoral processes and reforms,” he added.
