IEBC chairman Issack Hassan has “no regrets” leaving the commission and will “move on like any other Kenyan”.
The IEBC boss said he will go back to his private law farm - Hassan & Warsame Company Advocates - when he gets a good send-off package.
"I was dedicated in my six-year service at the IEBC after serving with the Yash Pal Ghai constitution review team for five years," Hassan said.
“I will exit honourably because this country is larger that an individual."
This follows a
by the Parliamentary Select Committee on electoral reforms that a new team be put in place to man the 2017 polls.
Hassan pledged to abide by the decision of the appointing authority if it settles that they exit the helm of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
"I love my country and I will continue doing so because home is home." t
Hassan spoke at Kitengela on Saturday during a meeting of more than 30 lawyers that graduated with him from University of Nairobi in 1992 .
The meeting was hosted by lawyer Alice Yano at Grays Hawk Hotel and attended by Elizabeth Muli - former vice-chairman of the defunct Commission for Implementation of the Constitution.
Council of Governors CEO Jackline Mogeni, MPs Moses Cheboi (Kuresoi North), Florence Kajuju (Meru woman rep), senior principal prosecution counsel Tom Ogweno, Benjamin Irungu and Geoffrey Maina among other lawyers attended the meeting.
Hassan asked his former colleagues to support each other whenever there are issues that threatens the tranquility of the legal fraternity.
"Every practising lawyer should uphold the rule of law," he said in message that steered clear of the debate on the state of affairs at the commission.
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Before appointment as IEBC chairman, Hassan led the Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) from May 2009 to November 2011.
As a practicing Lawyer, Hassan specialised in commercial and constitutional law; and has worked as an associate advocate, partner and head of litigation department at the Messrs Ibrahim, Issack & Co. Advocates law firm until May 2009.
He served as a Commissioner on the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission (CKRC) from 2000 to 2005.
In June 2006, he was appointed by former President Mwai Kibaki to serve on a Presidential Commission of Inquiry to inquire into breaches of National Security by Artur Margaryan and Artur Sargasyan (Artur Brothers).
He has also worked as Legal Consultant for the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) training Somali Parliamentarians on Constitutionalism and Federalism in Baidoa, Somalia in 2006.
Hassan also served as legal consultant for UNDP-Somalia on the Somalia Constitution Making Project from June to December 2008.
Between June 2006 and May 2009, he served as a General Legal Counsel for the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia under the late Col (Rtd) Abdullahi Yusuf.
Hassan has participated in numerous forums on election management and shared experiences with election officials from other countries.
He has observed elections in many countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, Canada and the USA.
The outgoing IEBC boss has also authored several articles and publications on governance, security, human rights, elections and international law.
In April 2011, he was the Head of the AU Observer Mission to Nigeria’s elections.
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