IEBC nominees get Committee nod, await full House decision
The committee gave its approval after vetting the seven nominees on Saturday, May 31.
The National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs Committee has approved the nomination of Erastus Ethekon as the new chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), along with six others as commissioners, setting the stage for the National Assembly to decide their fate.
The committee gave its approval after vetting the seven nominees on Saturday, May 31.
Those cleared to serve on the commission are Erastus Edung Ethekon, Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah.
The approval allows the report to move to the committee of the whole House for debate.
A final decision by Parliament will determine whether the seven will be officially appointed to lead the country’s electoral process, just over two years to the next general election.
The outcome of the parliamentary vote could shape preparations for the 2027 elections.
If Parliament gives its approval, it would reinforce the legal and institutional framework of the electoral process and build public trust in the IEBC.
But a rejection could lead to delays and uncertainty, raising the risk of legal or political challenges.
Once the National Assembly approves the nominees, the constitution requires the President to formally appoint them within seven days through a notice published in the Kenya Gazette.
The appointments must meet constitutional guidelines on gender balance and regional representation.
After gazettement, the chairperson and commissioners are sworn into office before officially taking on their duties of managing elections and overseeing boundaries.
The IEBC has operated without commissioners since January 17, 2023, when the terms of Chairperson Wafula Chebukati and Commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu expired after six years in office.
Their exit followed a turbulent period that saw vice chairperson Juliana Cherera and commissioners Francis Wanderi and Justus Nyang’aya resign in 2022.
The last remaining commissioner, Irene Masit, was removed on February 27, 2023, following a tribunal’s recommendation and a formal decision by President William Ruto.
Last week, Justice Lawrence Mugambi issued a ruling lifting an earlier order that had barred the National Assembly from proceeding with the vetting process.
However, the judge suspended the gazettement or swearing-in of any IEBC nominee who may be approved by Parliament, pending the conclusion of a petition filed in court.
