Nairobi -Kenya’s electoral commission finally has a full team in office after months of court battles and political wrangling.
Erastus Edung Ethekon was sworn in on Friday as the new chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), alongside six commissioners, in a ceremony presided over by Chief Justice Martha Koome at the Supreme Court.
Their oath-taking comes just a day after a three-judge bench at the High Court cleared the appointments, which had faced legal challenges over procedural issues.
“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter,” said Justice Koome as she welcomed the new team. “The rule of law has prevailed, and the people of Kenya can look forward to a functional and credible electoral body.”
The commissioners-Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah—will serve for six years.
Their entry marks the end of a long wait for a fully constituted IEBC, which had been operating in limbo since the departure of the previous team. The delay in reconstituting the body had drawn criticism from opposition leaders and civil society groups, who feared it would compromise future elections and boundary reviews.
President William Ruto formally gazetted the appointments on July 10 in Notices No. 9269 and 9270. This followed a High Court directive that quashed earlier notices (No. 7724 and 7725) issued in June, which judges said violated an interim order from May.
Despite the procedural missteps, the court upheld the legitimacy of the actual appointments. “The process was flawed, yes,” said Justice Roselyne Aburili, reading the bench’s decision. “But the individuals appointed were properly nominated and vetted. The country must move forward.”
With the legal clouds now lifted, the new commissioners face an enormous task ahead: overseeing a country still sharply divided along political lines and preparing for the next general elections.
The IEBC must also tackle pending issues such as the review of electoral boundaries, audit of voter registers, and ongoing reforms to restore public confidence in the commission.
MPs have already raised concerns about Sh3.9 billion in pending bills from the previous commission, calling for a full audit before new spending begins.
Political analyst Peter Kanyi, speaking on KTN News, said the road ahead would not be easy. “The commission has a credibility gap to bridge,” he said. “They need to hit the ground running and show independence from both the executive and opposition.”
The IEBC has often been at the heart of political controversy in Kenya, with past elections marred by disputes, legal challenges, and in some cases, deadly violence. The hope now is that this new team can rebuild trust and restore order to one of the country’s most critical institutions.
As the dust settles, all eyes turn to what comes next. Will this team succeed where others have stumbled-or will old wounds resurface come election season? For now, the clock has started ticking.
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