Omanga to new IEBC: Kenyans’ eyes are on you
With just two years to the pivotal 2027 general election, the newly sworn-in electoral commission faces its first and perhaps biggest test: earning public trust. The pressure is already mounting, and the message from leaders and citizens alike is loud and clear: prove your integrity or lose your credibility.
The newly constituted Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), led by chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon, took office on Friday, July 11, 2025, after a protracted two-year leadership vacuum.
You might also like
But even before settling in, the team is under intense scrutiny, with national expectations riding high on transparency, accountability, and justice.
Former nominated senator Millicent Omanga reinforced that message, calling on the new IEBC team to rise to the occasion.
“With the new IEBC now in place, it sets the pace for conducting by-elections but more importantly, the 2027 elections,” Omanga posted on her X account on Friday, July 11, 2025.
“This is probably the most consequential election in our history, and Kenyans will be watching their every move.”
The newly appointed commissioners include Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah—each now charged with helping restore faith in a commission still haunted by its past.
The Cherera four
Chief Justice Martha Koome, who presided over the swearing-in ceremony at the Supreme Court in Nairobi, captured the public mood in a stern call for reform-minded leadership.
“You are taking office at a time when our nation is undergoing a period of great reckoning – a moment when Kenyans, especially our young people, are expressing discontent and frustrations with public institutions,” she said.
“The cry from every corner of our nation is for integrity, transparency, accountability, and justice.”
Memories of the chaotic 2022 election remain vivid. The former IEBC, led by the late Wafula Chebukati, was engulfed in a storm of controversy, culminating in a dramatic fallout that saw four commissioners disown the presidential results just minutes before their official declaration.
“We therefore cannot take ownership of this result that is going to be announced,” then-vice chair Juliana Cherera said during a surprise press conference at Nairobi’s Serena Hotel on August 15, 2022.
Joined by commissioners Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit, and Justus Nyang’aya, the group—later dubbed the “Cherera Four”—accused the leadership of running an opaque process. The split deepened public distrust and triggered resignations, tribunals, and lasting reputational damage to the electoral body.
While the Supreme Court upheld the election results, the damage was done—and for many Kenyans, the question still lingers: can the IEBC be trusted?
As the 2027 polls draw closer, the new team steps into office with both an opportunity and a burden. They must not only deliver credible elections but also repair the commission’s fractured legacy.
Omanga’s warning leaves little room for doubt: this isn’t business as usual. Every decision, every announcement, every result will be watched closely, critically, and collectively.
