Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa has weighed in on the recent appointment of a new team to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), stating that while the team may not be ideal, it is better to have one in place than to operate without any electoral oversight body.
The senator’s remarks came after President William Ruto formally gazetted the appointments of Erastus Edung Ethekon as IEBC Chairperson and six commissioners. In a post on social media platform X, Thang’wa said, “A bad IEBC is better than none! Tukutane kwa debe!” signaling a call to embrace the commission and focus on the democratic process.
The appointments were made official through Gazette Notices No. 9269 and 9270, dated July 10, 2025. The commissioners named to serve alongside Chairperson Ethekon for a six-year term are Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah.
However, the appointments have not come without legal controversy. On the same day the gazettement was issued, a three-judge bench of the High Court ruled that the appointments were unconstitutional. Justices Bahati Mwamuye, John Chigiti, and Roselyne Aburili held that President Ruto violated existing conservatory orders issued by Justice Lawrence Mugambi, which barred the appointments from being formalised.
The court emphasized that while the nomination process was valid and not flawed, the subsequent appointment and gazettement were illegal due to the violation of court orders. As such, although the nominees remain legally acceptable, they are prohibited from assuming office until the legal process is fully regularised.
The IEBC has operated without a full commission since the exit of former chair Wafula Chebukati and commissioners Boya Molu, Abdi Guliye, Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit, and Justus Nyang’aya. The prolonged absence of a functioning electoral body has raised concerns about preparedness for future electoral exercises.
Despite the setbacks, the move to reconstitute the IEBC signals progress, albeit contentious, toward restoring electoral integrity in Kenya.
