Written By Lisa Murimi
Kenya’s newly appointed Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Erastus Endung Ethekon and six commissioners are set to be sworn in today, following a legal and political rollercoaster that culminated in a fresh presidential gazette notice.
The appointments were re-issued on Thursday, July 10, after a three-judge bench declared the initial gazettement unlawful, having violated conservatory orders issued by the High Court on May 29. President William Ruto’s move to formally reappoint the team comes amid growing public scrutiny over the transparency of the selection process.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 250(2) as read with Section 5(2) of the IEBC Act, I, William Samoei Ruto… appoint Erastus Endung Ethekon to be the Chairperson of IEBC for six years,” the notice read.
Joining Ethekon are Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Mukhwana, Mary Sorobit, Hassan Noor, Francis Odhiambo, and Fahima Abdallah — all set for non-renewable six-year terms.
The judges — Roselyne Aburili, John Chigiti, and Bahati Mwamuye — ruled that the original gazette notice ignored a valid court order and therefore held no legal ground.
“The President is required to issue a fresh gazette notice to regularise the appointments,” the ruling declared, reinforcing the court’s authority in overseeing executive compliance.
Ironically, while the court faulted the process, it upheld the substance of the appointments, dismissing a petition that alleged favoritism, lack of diversity, and exclusion of persons with disabilities.
For a country scarred by disputed elections, the naming of a new electoral team is far from routine. It is a high-stakes affair where trust in the IEBC’s neutrality could spell peace or peril in the lead-up to 2027.
