Chief Justice Martha Koome has urged the newly sworn-in electoral commissioners to take immediate action in restoring public trust in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), saying their work carries the weight of the nation’s democratic future.

Speaking on Friday during the swearing-in of IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung and six commissioners at the Supreme Court Buildings, Koome said the team must go beyond organising elections and focus on protecting the core of the Constitution. She reminded them that Kenyans, especially the youth, are increasingly disillusioned with public institutions and expect more transparency and accountability.

“In you now recites the solemn responsibility to safeguard one of the most sacred rights in our Constitution, the right of every Kenyan to participate in free, fair and credible elections,” Koome said.

She told the commissioners that the oath they had taken was not a routine act, but a clear reminder of the faith Kenyans have placed in them. Koome stressed that the country is at a point of reckoning and institutions like the IEBC must show leadership rooted in honesty, humility, and justice.

“The cry from every corner of our nation is for integrity, transparency, accountability and justice,” she noted.

The Chief Justice challenged the commission to confront weaknesses within the IEBC and deliver reforms that would make it a trusted institution.

“Whatever you will find not working and serving Kenyans properly at the IEBC, you must confront it, and you must fix it. This is why you have been given the mandate,” she stated.

She further warned that past disputed elections and the violence that followed had deeply hurt the country, turning election management into an issue of national stability.

“Elections are not just political events. They are national security,” she said, adding that the commission must consider the human rights and economic implications tied to every vote cast.

Koome also called on the commissioners to uphold their independence and not allow any influence to shape their decisions.

“May the first prefix of your name, Independent always sound a clear tone… especially if anybody or any institution attempts to interfere with your decision making,” she added.

She acknowledged that while the selection of the new commissioners had taken time and gone through a complex legal process, it was now time for the team to move with urgency.

“Now that the commission has been reconstituted, it is imperative that you move with speed to undertake the critical constitutional and administrative functions that have remained in abeyance,” she said, urging the team to begin preparations for the 2027 elections without delay.

The new commissioners are Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah. They were appointed alongside Edung through Gazette Notices published by President William Ruto on July 10, following a High Court ruling that nullified earlier notices due to procedural missteps. The court, however, upheld the actual appointments, allowing the process to be regularised.

Koome closed her address by urging the commissioners to be guided by their oath and to always keep the interests of the public at the centre of their decisions.

“The hold you have taken must be the compass that guides all your decisions and conduct,” she said. “You must always ask how your decisions impact the society.”