President William Ruto has nominated Erastus Edung Ethekon from Turkana County to serve as the new chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), moving a step closer to reconstituting the electoral body ahead of the 2027 General Election.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, May 6, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei announced the president's decision, which also includes the nomination of six individuals to serve as IEBC commissioners. The nominees are:

• Ann Njeri Nderitu (Nyandarua)

• Moses Alutalala Mukhwana (Kakamega)

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• Mary Karen Sorobit (Uasin Gishu)

• Hassan Noor Hassan (Mandera)

• Francis Odhiambo Aduol (Kisumu)

• Fahima Araphat Abdallah (Lamu)

Koskei noted that the nominations follow recommendations made by the IEBC Selection Panel, which concluded its recruitment process and forwarded the final list of nominees to the president earlier the same day.

“The nominations have been transmitted to the National Assembly for vetting and approval, as required by law,” said Koskei.

President Ruto urged Parliament to fast-track the vetting process, highlighting the IEBC’s vital role in safeguarding Kenya’s democracy and ensuring credible electoral processes.

The interviews for the IEBC chairperson took place between March 24 and 26, while the commissioner interviews ran until April 24. The selection panel, led by Dr. Nelson Makanda, shortlisted 11 candidates for the chair role and nine for the commissioner posts, from a total of 1,333 applicants.

Among the commissioner applicants, 17.8% were women, 80.9% men, and 1.35% submitted incomplete applications without national identification documents.

The IEBC has been operating below capacity since the departure of former chair Wafula Chebukati and other commissioners in 2023. If Parliament approves the new nominees, the reconstituted commission will be immediately tasked with overseeing pending by-elections and laying the foundation for the 2027 General Election.