Opposition leaders in Kenya issued a joint statement calling for the immediate release of the exit report from the selection panel responsible for interviewing candidates for the positions of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson and commissioners. The opposition coalition, which includes prominent figures such as former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Martha Karua (People’s Liberation Party), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Eugene Wamalwa (DAP-K), and others, argued that the report’s release was crucial for public scrutiny.
The leaders expressed concerns over the transparency and fairness of the recruitment process, questioning whether the panel had conducted a thorough and impartial evaluation of the candidates. They demanded the publication of the report to allow Kenyans to assess whether the criteria used to select the six IEBC nominees were fair, transparent, and in line with the law.
In early May, the IEBC selection panel submitted a list of nine candidates to President William Ruto, who then nominated Erastus Edung Ethekon as the chairperson and six others as commissioners. However, the full list of the 11 shortlisted candidates, along with the panel’s detailed report, were not made public. This has raised suspicions within the opposition about the integrity of the process and its potential to influence the upcoming 2027 general elections.
The opposition coalition further criticized the failure to release the exit report, arguing that its secrecy undermines the integrity of the entire recruitment process. They emphasized the importance of transparency, especially in such a crucial democratic institution responsible for overseeing elections.
In response to the perceived lack of accountability, the opposition announced plans to establish a “People’s IEBC” a citizen-led watchdog designed to act as a shadow commission. This initiative aims to monitor and evaluate the official IEBC’s actions, ensuring it upholds the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and constitutionalism as Kenya heads into the 2027 general elections.
