After months, some even over a year, without a representative voice in Parliament, residents of five Kenyan constituencies can now look forward to electing their leaders.

This follows the full reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), ending a long period of silence and frustration in regions that have been left out of the country’s decision-making process.

The long-awaited change brings relief to many who have watched important national debates unfold without their input. For the families, voters, and communities in these affected areas, the return of the IEBC means more than just an election, it means regaining their constitutional right to representation.

The leadership vacuum at the commission followed the political fallout from the 2022 presidential election, when four commissioners—Juliana Cherera, Francis Wandera, Irene Masit, and Justus Nyang’aya—rejected the results.

Their exit, alongside the later retirement of former chair Wafula Chebukati and commissioners Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye, left the IEBC crippled and key processes such as by-elections at a standstill.

President William Ruto signed the IEBC (Amendment) Bill, 2024 into law on July 9, 2024, which allowed for fresh appointments.

However, legal petitions slowed down the process. It wasn’t until July 10, 2025, that a three-judge bench dismissed the cases challenging the new commissioners. Hours later, Ruto corrected a procedural error through a fresh gazette notice, officially ushering in a new era for the electoral body.

The new chair, Erastus Ethekon, will lead the team that includes Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah. Each will serve a six-year term.

Attention now turns to five parliamentary constituencies where voters have waited for far too long:

In Ugunja (Siaya County), the seat has remained vacant since July 2024 after Opiyo Wandayi resigned to become Cabinet Secretary for Energy. Mbeere North (Embu County) has gone without an MP since March 2025, when Geoffrey Ruku left to serve in the Public Service docket.

In Kasipul (Homa Bay County), the absence is more tragic. The seat has been empty since April 30, 2025, following the assassination of MP Charles Ong’ondo Were,a shocking act of violence that shook the nation. Banisa (Mandera County) has had no representation since March 2023, when Kulow Maalim Hassan died from injuries after a hit-and-run incident in Nairobi.

Lastly, Magarini (Kilifi County) lost its MP after the courts nullified the 2022 election results. A series of rulings by the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court confirmed that the election had serious irregularities, leading to the removal of Harrison Garama Kombe in May 2024.

The upcoming by-elections will be the new IEBC’s first big test. It will be under pressure to show that it can carry out its duties fairly, transparently, and effectively—especially after years of public doubt and institutional collapse.

But for the voters in these long-neglected areas, it is also a chance to be heard again. A chance to shape policy, hold leaders accountable, and finally have someone speaking for them in the National Assembly.