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Tag: Erastus Edung Ethekon

  • My first loyalty is to Kenyans, pledges new IEBC chair Erastus Edung

    My first loyalty is to Kenyans, pledges new IEBC chair Erastus Edung

    The newly appointed Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson, Erastus Edung Ethekon, has officially assumed office with a call for support from all stakeholders and Kenyans to help the Commission effectively deliver on its mandate.

    Speaking at the Supreme Court after being sworn in alongside the six newly appointed commissioners, Edung emphasised that delivering a credible election is not the sole responsibility of the IEBC but a shared national duty.

    While acknowledging the significant task ahead, he assured the public that the Commission will engage all Kenyans in its efforts to deliver a peaceful, credible, and accountable 2027 General Election.

     “ I’m deeply honoured and humbled to take on the role of Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, an institution that is at the very heart of our democracy…My first loyalty is to the people of Kenya…I wish to assure Kenyans that their voices will be heard and count in the coming elections. We urge them to support us in this journey of a shared mandate,” he pledged.

    “As we settle down as the new IEBC, I call upon all other institutions, stakeholders to support us and work together with collectively and collaborately to ensure even as we plan for the by lections and the next general election, we deliver on our mandate to ensure peaceful credible and accountable electoral processes” he noted.

    Additionally, he pledged to uphold the IEBC code of conduct and operate strictly within the law, highlighting that free and fair elections are the cornerstone of a democratic society.

    “ Today marks the beginning of our service to the people of Kenya and we must approach this sacred duty with absolute commitment, guided by the Constitution and the expectations of every Kenyan”, he said even as he paid tribute to his predecessors.

    The ceremony, presided over by Chief Justice Martha Koome, follows the dismissal of a petition on Thursday evening that challenged the selection and nomination of Edung as Chairperson of the Commission, Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah as Commissioners.

    The judges had quashed a Gazette Notice dated June 10, 2025, issued by President William Ruto appointing the seven individuals, and directed that a new Gazette Notice be issued to regularise their appointment, which was done immediately, paving the way for them to take the oath of office.

    The new team takes over at a critical time, with several mini polls pending and exactly two years to the 2027 General Election.

    Several constituencies and wards have lacked representation after the seats fell vacant due to various reasons, including the deaths of the office holders.

    The IEBC, which is mandated to conduct a by-election that must be held to fill the vacant seat within 90 days couldn’t do so because it was not fully constituted after previous commissioners exited office.

  • President Ruto re-gazettes appointment of new IEBC chair, commissioners

    President Ruto re-gazettes appointment of new IEBC chair, commissioners

    President William Ruto has issued a fresh gazette notice appointing Erastus Edung Ethekon as Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), along with six commissioners, after the High Court nullified an earlier appointment made on June 10.

    The latest appointments come after the court upheld the nomination process but declared the initial gazettement unlawful, ruling that it was done in violation of existing court orders.

    “In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 250 (2) as read with section 5(2) of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act and Paragraph 4 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, appoint Erastus Edung Ethekon to be the Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission for a period of six (6) years,” the head of state stated in the notice released on Thursday evening.

    The judges directed the Head of State to regularize the process through a fresh gazette notice before the nominees could take the oath of office.

    In the new gazette notice dated July 10, the President has appointed Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah to serve as commissioners.

    According to the gazette notice, both the Chairperson and the commissioners will serve a single term of six years.

    The appointments now clear the way for the commissioners to take the oath of office and begin preparations to steer the country through the 2027 General Election.

  • Court upholds IEBC nominations, nullifies gazette notice appointing commissioners

    Court upholds IEBC nominations, nullifies gazette notice appointing commissioners

    The High Court has upheld the nomination of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon and six commissioner nominees whose appointments had been contested in court.

    However, the court nullified the June 10, 2025 gazette notice issued by President William Ruto appointing the commissioners, terming it unlawful.

    In a ruling delivered Thursday evening, a three-judge bench comprising Lady Justice Roselyne Aburili , Justice John Chigiti, and Justice Bahati Mwamuye ruled that although the appointment process did not breach the Constitution, the gazettement of the officials was irregular and violated existing court orders.

    “A nominee cannot take oath of office based on an illegal appointment,” the judges stated, adding that “the court cannot sanction an illegality. To uphold the rule of law and the legitimacy of the IEBC, an illegality cannot be the foundation of legitimacy.”

    The court, however, dismissed the petition challenging the President’s selection, finding no merit in the allegations of bias, regional imbalance, or lack of public participation.

    Petitioners had argued that the selection of the Chair and commissioners was opaque and failed to include persons with disabilities and marginalized groups.

    However, the court found that these claims lacked evidence, stating that public participation had been conducted adequately, and regional balance was considered since no two nominees came from the same ethnic group.

    On the matter of disability representation, the court held that inclusion is subject to progressive realization based on available resources.

    In its ruling, the bench concluded that the reliefs sought by the petitioners fell short of the legal threshold for establishing violations of the Bill of Rights.

    The judges also noted the need for Parliament to develop a uniform legal framework to guide public participation, especially on critical national matters like the reconstitution of the IEBC.

    The judgment now paves the way for President Ruto to issue a fresh gazette notice, after which the commissioners can be sworn in and officially assume office.

  • IEBC nominees: National Assembly to hold approval hearings on May 26

    IEBC nominees: National Assembly to hold approval hearings on May 26

    The National Assembly is inviting the public to submit sworn written statements (affidavits) on the suitability of nominees for Chairperson and Members of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

    The deadline is set for Wednesday, 21st May, 2025 at 5:00pm.

    Further, the house shall conduct approval hearings on the nominees on Monday, 26th May 2025.

    “WHEREAS, following receipt of the nominations from His Excellency the President, the Rt. Hon. Speaker of the National Assembly vide a Notification made on Friday 9. May 2025 conveyed the Message to the Members of the National Assembly and referred the names and curricula vitae of the nominees to the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs for consideration and reporting to the House”, reads the notification.

    President Ruto has nominated 48-year-old Erastus Edung Ethekon as the new Chairperson and six Commissioners from various regions, among them Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu (Nyandarua).

    The others are: Moses Alutalala Mukhwana (Kakamega), Mary Karen Sorobit (Uasin Gishu), Hassan Noor Hassan (Mandera), Francis Odhiambo Aduol (Kisumu), and Fahima Araphat Abdallah (Lamu).