Ruto re-gazettes appointment of new IEBC chair and commissioners after court directive

President William Ruto has gazetted new Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson Erastus Ethekon and six commissioners.

The gazette comes moments after the High Court upheld the nomination of the seven commissioners, after a three-judge bench led by Justices Roselyne Aburili, John Chigiti, and Bahati Mwamuye dismissed a petition challenging the nomination of the commissioners.

You might also like

Entertainment

Karangu Muraya discloses amount Ruto gave him amid brother’s ICU bill struggles

Entertainment

Ben Githae calls for reform of music royalties system after Ruto’s Ksh109M disclosure

Entertainment

Senator Allan Chesang reveals Ruto gives him marriage advice, encourages family time

“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,” Ruto stated.

Ethekon will lead a team of six, including Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah.

“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 (and) Fahima Araphat Abdallah, to be members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, for a period of six (6) years,” Ruto added.

In a ruling on Thursday, July 10, 2025, the High Court threw out the petition by Kelvin Roy Omondi and Boniface Mwangi challenging the IEBC nominees, citing different shortcomings in the process.

“In view of the foregoing authorities, the failure by the petitioners to articulate how the cited provisions of the Constitution, provisions of the Bill of Rights rather, have been violated or threatened with violation in relation to the relief sought, this court finds that the petition is, in so far as it claims to be brought under Articles 22 and 23 of the Constitution, falls short of the threshold required to invoke the court’s jurisdiction under Articles 22 and 23,” the bench ruled.

In its ruling, the Court dismissed the petitioners’ request to nullify the appointments themselves, affirming that the selection of the IEBC officials was procedurally and legally sound.

However, the Court found fault in the manner the appointments were formalised. Specifically, it held that the Gazette Notice published by President William Ruto to confirm the appointments was unlawful, having been issued in defiance of an existing conservatory order from the Court.