President William Ruto has formally gazetted Erastus Ethekon as the new Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), alongside six commissioners, in a controversial move that defies an existing court order halting their appointment and swearing-in.
In a Gazette notice dated Tuesday, June 10, 2025, the President made the appointments official following the National Assembly’s approval of the nominees. The seven officials are set to serve six-year terms.
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Those appointed include:
- Erastus Ethekon – Chairperson
- Ann Nderitu – Registrar of Political Parties
- Moses Alutalala Mukhwana
- Mary Karen Sorobit
- Hassan Noor Hassan
- Francis Odhiambo Aduol
- Fahima Araphat Abdallah
The appointments come despite an active court order issued by the High Court, which temporarily stopped the gazettement and swearing-in of the nominees pending the determination of a legal petition.
The court, however, allowed the vetting process to proceed in Parliament, where the nominees were subsequently approved.
Justice Lawrence Mugambi, who issued the conservatory orders, said the petition raised “weighty questions touching on the sovereignty of the people,” adding that such matters deserved full judicial scrutiny.
The case has now been escalated to Chief Justice Martha Koome for the empanelment of a three-judge bench.
Ethekon, nominated on May 8 to replace the late Wafula Chebukati, leads a new team expected to breathe life into an electoral body that has remained largely dysfunctional since early 2023 due to leadership gaps.
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However, the appointments have not come without resistance. Petitioners argue that the President’s move to proceed with gazettement violates court orders and constitutional procedures.
They also question the eligibility of some of the appointees, suggesting the vetting process was rushed and lacked inclusivity.
The National Assembly, in its defense to the court, argued that delaying the process would compromise a time-bound constitutional exercise and inhibit the restoration of normal IEBC functions.
A senior government official defended the appointments, saying, “The appointments are a step forward in restoring the electoral body’s operations, which had stalled since Chebukati’s departure.”
With the appointments now gazetted, all seven await formal swearing-in — a step that may face additional legal obstacles if the pending court petition is upheld.
The IEBC, a critical body in managing elections, boundary reviews, and voter registration, has operated without a full commission for over a year.
The current developments set the stage for a fresh legal and political showdown over the integrity and independence of Kenya’s electoral systems.
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