Speaker Moses Wetangula has said that the Parliamentary Justice and Legal Affairs Committee will begin the vetting of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson and the six members of the commission on May 27.
This comes after President William Ruto nominated Erastus Edung Ethekon on May 9 as the chairperson of the IEBC to succeed the late Wafula Chebukati.
He also nominated six other individuals to serve as members of the commission and submitted their names to Parliament for vetting.
The six members are: Ann Njeri Nderitu (Registrar of Political Parties), Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah.
"In accordance with our supreme law, the nominations have been transmitted to the National Assembly for consideration and approval by Parliament, in accordance with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act as well as the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act (Chapter 7F, Laws of Kenya),'' the statement from the Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei read in part.
The nominations followed the recommendations of the Selection Panel on the recruitment of nominees for the positions of chairperson and members of the IEBC, as transmitted on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.
The Selection Panel, chaired by Nelson Makanda, had recommended two candidates for the position of chairperson and nine others for consideration to fill six commissioner slots, before President Ruto settled on seven nominees.
Ruto has urged the National Assembly to prioritise the consideration of the nominees, even as stakeholders had expressed concerns over the delay in constituting the commission.
“In recognition of the indispensable role of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as one of the cornerstone institutions of our democracy and a custodian of electoral management, His Excellency the President has urged the National Assembly to prioritise the consideration of these nominations.”
A total of 11 candidates were interviewed for the position of chairperson, among them former Judiciary Chief Registrar Anne Amadi and ex-Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution Chairperson Charles Nyachae.
Other contenders included legal and governance experts such as Joy Mdivo, Jacob Ngwele Muvengei, Erastus Edung Ethekon (the nominee), Francis Kakai Kissinger, Lilian Wanjiku Manegene, and Saul Simiyu Wasilwa.
The vetting process will be done by the members of parliament, and they will have 21 days from the date of receiving the nominations to complete the vetting process, as stipulated by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act, 2011.
The IEBC officials who will be vetted by the parliament will lead the upcoming by-elections and the 2027 General Election.
