IEBC CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS SET TO BE SWORN IN TODAY AFTER RE-GAZETTEMENT

The newly appointed Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Erastus Ethekon, and six commissioners are set to be sworn into office today, following the re-gazettement of their appointments by President William Ruto on Thursday.
This comes just days after a three-judge High Court bench nullified an earlier gazette notice on procedural grounds, ruling that the initial appointments published on June 10 violated a standing conservatory order. However, the court upheld the nomination process itself, allowing the President to correct the legal error and proceed with fresh appointments.
In the new Kenya Gazette dated July 10, 2025, the President re-appointed Ethekon as chairperson, alongside commissioners Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah. Each will serve a non-renewable term of six years.
The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be presided over by Chief Justice Martha Koome at the Supreme Court buildings in Nairobi. The event marks a significant milestone in the reconstitution of the IEBC, which has remained without a full commission since the fallout after the 2022 General Election.
The court challenge that led to the initial nullification was filed by activists Kelvin Roy Omondi and Boniface Mwangi, who argued that the appointments lacked inclusivity, regional balance, and representation of persons with disabilities. The court, however, dismissed the claims for lack of evidence and clarified that the only issue was the timing of the June 10 gazette notices.
With today’s ceremony, the IEBC is now fully constituted and can proceed with critical electoral functions including boundary reviews, voter registration updates, and electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Observers and civil society groups have called on the new team to uphold independence, transparency, and accountability as they begin their term in office.