Erastus Ethekon began his term as Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) with a firm pledge to protect the integrity of Kenya’s elections and uphold public confidence in the democratic process.

Speaking shortly after being sworn in at the Supreme Court Buildings on Friday, Edung said he was humbled by the responsibility and committed to serving all Kenyans with honesty and fairness.

Edung was sworn in alongside six new commissioners; Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah—marking the official start of a new leadership team tasked with steering the electoral body for the next six years.

Chief Justice Martha Koome administered the oaths, completing a process that followed fresh appointments made by President William Ruto.

“This is the beginning of our service to the people of Kenya,” Edung said.

“We must approach this sacred duty… with the urgency and integrity and absolute commitment, guided by our Constitution and the laws of the Republic, but more importantly, guided by the expectations of every Kenyan.”

The new team takes office following a series of legal hurdles.

On July 10, President Ruto issued Gazette Notices No. 9269 and 9270 to regularise the appointments, after the High Court nullified earlier notices due to procedural flaws. While Judges Roselyne Aburili, John Chigiti and Bahati Mwamuye found that interim court orders had been breached, they ruled that the individuals’ qualifications were not in question and allowed the appointments to stand.

Ethekon thanked the Judiciary for fast-tracking the process and confirming the legality of the appointments.

“I would like to thank the Judiciary, the Chief Justice, for the commendable job they did… and for affirming the legality of our appointment,” he said.

He stressed that the commission’s work must be grounded in fairness and that Kenyans must never doubt the legitimacy of election results.

Quoting American civil rights leader John Lewis, he said, “The vote is so precious, it is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool which we have in our democracy.”

As Kenya moves toward future by-elections and the 2027 general election, Ethekon called on citizens to play an active role in safeguarding democracy.

“My first and foremost loyalty is to the people of Kenya, who hold the sovereign power under Article One of our Constitution,” he said. “I urge fellow Kenyans that you must show up, you must engage, you must vote, and you must participate.”

Ethekon also highlighted the growing threat of disinformation, saying the commission must work closely with media outlets to ensure truth is prioritised over falsehoods.

“We also have an opportunity to work with those news outlets… so that then we build trust in the credibility of our institutions such as IEBC, but also of our electoral processes,” h said.

The IEBC boss noted that credible elections are a shared responsibility, urging other institutions to join the commission in delivering peaceful, free and transparent electoral processes.

“I call upon all other stakeholders to support us and to work together… because we have shared responsibility to ensure that we deliver on our mandate,” Ethekon said.

He concluded by paying tribute to past IEBC leaders, saying the commission would build on their work. “We have our predecessors who have been the architects of some of the systems that we will inherit, that we will work to perfect and improve,” he said.

In a final message to the public, Ethekon said the future of Kenya’s democracy depends on every citizen’s involvement.

“Let me leave you finally with the words of Larry J Sabato that every election is determined by the people who show up,” he said.