New IEBC Leadership Ready For Swearing-In Today After Court Dismisses Petition

A new chapter for Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is officially set to begin today, Friday, July 11, 2025, as the newly appointed chairperson, Erastus Edung Ethekon, and six commissioners are scheduled to be sworn into office at midday at the Supreme Court.

This crucial development follows a significant High Court ruling delivered on Thursday evening, July 10, 2025. A three-judge bench, comprising Lady Justice Roselyne Aburili, Justice John Chigiti, and Justice Bahati Mwamuye, dismissed the substantive petition that had challenged the selection and nomination process of the new IEBC team. Petitioners had argued that the selection process was opaque, lacked regional balance, and failed to adequately include persons with disabilities and marginalized groups. However, the court found these claims to be unsubstantiated, affirming that public participation was conducted adequately and regional balance was considered.

Crucially, while upholding the nominations, the court nullified an earlier Gazette Notice dated June 10, 2025, which President William Ruto had issued to formalize the appointments. The judges deemed this initial gazettement “unlawful,” ruling that it was done in violation of existing court orders that had temporarily halted the process. To regularize the appointments, the court directed President Ruto to issue a fresh Gazette Notice.

President Ruto promptly complied with this directive, issuing a new Gazette Notice dated July 10, 2025, which re-appointed Erastus Edung Ethekon as Chairperson and Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah as commissioners. Both the chairperson and commissioners are appointed to serve a single term of six years.

The swearing-in ceremony, which Chief Justice Martha Koome will preside over, marks the end of a prolonged period during which the IEBC operated without a full commission. This reconstitution is critical, especially with several mini-polls pending and exactly two years remaining until the 2027 General Election. The new team faces the immediate task of restoring the full functionality and public trust in the electoral body, which is vital for Kenya’s democratic processes.