President William Ruto has announced a vacancy for the chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), a position currently held by Wafula Chebukati.
Additional openings for two commissioners Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye whose terms expire in January 2023 were notified in a Gazette Notice from the President dated October 21, 2022.
“Now, therefore, in the exercise of the powers conferred to me, I William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya notify of impending vacancies in the aforementioned positions,” Ruto stated.
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The IEBC Act requires the President to provide notice of commissioner vacancies at least six months before their terms are over.
In addition, he will choose the commission’s head and other members by convening a panel of seven people under his authority.
Chebukati was appointed chairperson in December of 2016.
He served on the Commission that handled the Supreme Court-contested elections of 2017 and 2022. The former’s verdict was overturned, but the latter was upheld.
As Chebukati was announcing Ruto’s victory on Monday, August 15th, he also announced his own departure from government, set for January 2023.
“This was my last election as the Commission’s chairperson,” Chebukati stated at the Bomas of Kenya after the event was marred with chaos.
Three commissioners, Justus Nyang’aya, Francis Wanderi, and Irene Masit, joined his deputy, Juliana Cherera, in dissenting from the presidential results.
However, in the Presidential Election case brought by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Martha Karua, Commissioners Molu and Guliye sided with Chebukati. After the Supreme Court ruled in their favor, Ruto praised Chebukati as a hero who steadfastly supported the will of the people.
“That we can resist bribery, and blackmail and intimidation and serve the public interests as public servants… I want to say Chebukati is the hero of this election,” Ruto lauded the IEBC chair.
