Sossion takes aim at 2027 aspirants questioning IEBC’s legitimacy
Former Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion has lashed out at political aspirants, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), calling their mistrust a threat to Kenya’s constitutional order.
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on Thursday, May 8, 2025, Sossion accused certain political figures — particularly those eyeing the presidency in 2027 — of attempting to undermine the IEBC before the race has even begun.
“I think we must be fair to the country and to democracy. Those who are still slaves of mistrust — I don’t think the country can entertain them any further, to the detriment of creating a constitutional crisis in the absence of a fully functional IEBC complete with a chair and commissioners,” Sossion said.
He noted that there are several pending issues requiring urgent IEBC attention, including the audit of the 2022 General Elections, by-elections in various constituencies, registration of new voters, delimitation of boundaries, and preparations for the 2027 polls.
“We cannot keep on disputing and fishing for unnecessary disputes,” he said, warning against the politicisation of the process of identifying new commissioners.
“The process of identifying the commissioners is properly laid out in the Constitution, and the entities that play their roles are clear.”
Sossion then faulted key opposition figures like Kalonzo Musyoka, who have persistently questioned the impartiality of the IEBC’s composition and demanded inclusion in the final appointment of its chairperson.
He said such demands betray a fundamental disregard for the constitutional framework and represent a dangerous attempt to politicise a legal process.
“About Kalonzo’s demands, is that constitutional? Is it within the law? It is not. The law is clear,” he stated. “Kibaki appointed his cousin in 2017, and Uhuru appointed Chebukati. That is the mandate given to the president, and he does not go fishing for names across the country.”
He clarified that the process of identifying the IEBC chair is not arbitrary but follows an established legal path.
The former nominated MP explained that interested candidates submit their applications in response to a public call and undergo a vetting and interview process, after which the names of the successful applicants are forwarded to the president for consideration.
“The panel advertises, and those Kenyans who meet the qualifications are interviewed, and names are sent to the President,” Sossion explained. “The President then picks a name from either two or three submitted. So the work of the president is to facilitate — not to fish for a chair — because the names that are interviewed are placed before him finally.”
Transparent IEBC
In defending the transparency of the process, Sossion highlighted that the president’s role is not absolute but is bounded by a strict constitutional timeframe.
He added that the next step is for Parliament to receive and scrutinise the names submitted by the president.
“He made an announcement the other day that he has actually received the report from the panel, and that report — by law — he must be able to submit those names within a constitutional and legal timeline to Parliament,” he said. “And we expect those names to be in Parliament within seven days.”
He further reminded critics that the president does not wield unilateral power in determining the final composition of the commission, emphasising that the process reflects the spirit of collective governance enshrined in Kenya’s constitutional democracy.
“The parliament will further vet those nominees and vote to approve,” he said. “So it’s not just the president. The way the Constitution is couched is to give a wide latitude to Kenyans in identifying these names.”
With the 2027 general election approaching, Sossion urged aspirants to shift focus from electoral mistrust to policy-based politics. He challenged them to invest in political strategy and public appeal, rather than second-guessing institutions.
“If you are vying for a seat in 2027, go and package your politics and leave IEBC to do its work,” he advised. “We have come of age as a country — even if your brother is appointed the chair of IEBC, that brother is not going to alter anything — and we must learn to accept the results of our sovereign democratic process.”
