President William Ruto has set in motion the process of recruiting a new IEBC chairperson and five commissioners.
This is after he gazetted the six positions vacant. The positions fell vacant after the end of the term for former IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati and two other commissioners Boya Mulu and Sbdi Guliye.
Three other commissioners Juliana Cherera, Justus Nyang’aya and Francis Wanderi resigned amid petitions to remove them from office.
Another commissioner Irene Masit is still awaiting a report from a tribunal formed by Ruto that will determine her fate.
Masit is currently suspended.
The vacancies were declared in a gazette notice dated February 14, 2023.
“Now therefore, in the exercise of the powers conferred by Section 7A (2) of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act, 2011 as read with paragraph 1 (1) of the First Schedule to the Act, I William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, declare vacancies in the position- chairperson and five members of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission,” read part of the notice.
IEBC selection panel
Chebukati, Guliye and Molu were appointed on January 18, 2017, for a 6-year non-renewable term which ended on January 18, 2023.
But with the positions now declared vacant, Ruto is expected to constitute an IEBC selection panel that will advertise the positions and interview interested candidates.
The panel will also recommend successful candidates to the National Assembly for vetting, before formal appointment by the Head of State.
The Constitution of the panel will be based on the IEBC (Amendment) Bill, 2022 that the Parliament recently passed.
According to the bill, the panel will be made up of two individuals each from the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) and the Inter-Religious Council.
The remaining three slots will be shared by the Political Parties Liaison Committee, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and Public Service Commission.
Meanwhile, the new IEBC chairperson and the five commissioners are expected to be in charge of the 2027 General Election.
