President William Ruto has appointed Erastus Edung Ethekon as the new chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
According to a gazette notice issued on Thursday, July 10, Ethekon will serve as the IEBC chair for a period of six years.
"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 notice read.
At the same time, Ruto named six new commissioners to the electoral body.
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The appointees are Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Arafhat Abdallah.
The commissioners will also serve a six-year term.
“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 Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, Fahima Arafhat Abdallah, to be members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, for a period of six (6) years," the notice read.
Earlier Thursday, the High Court upheld the appointment of the IEBC chair and commissioners but nullified the gazette notice issued by Ruto to formalise their appointments.
The court dismissed a petition seeking to invalidate the appointments, finding that the recruitment process complied with constitutional and legal requirements.
However, the court held that the gazette notice published by the president was unlawful as it contravened an existing conservatory order.
As such, the court directed Ruto to issue a fresh gazette notice to regularise the appointments.
