Details of IEBC’s First Tasks After Commissioners’ Swearing In
Kenya’s newly appointed Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) team officially took office on Friday, June 11, and now faces urgent tasks with no time for delays.
During the swearing-in ceremony, the new IEBC Chairperson, Erastus Ethekon, vowed to serve Kenyans with integrity, fairness, and full commitment to the law.
“I, Erastus Edung Ethekon, having been appointed Chairperson of IEBC, do solemnly swear to obey, respect, and uphold the Constitution and all laws of Kenya,” he stated.
Ethekon and the six commissioners on his team now have to deal with immediate constitutional demands, starting with 22 by-elections that have been on hold across the country.
These by-elections include six National Assembly seats, one Senate seat, and 15 county assembly (MCA) positions. According to Article 101(4) of the Constitution and Section 86 of the Elections Act, IEBC is required to conduct these elections within 90 days after a seat becomes vacant.
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Since the IEBC lacked a full commission from 2023, the 90-day countdown only started once Ethekon and his team were sworn in.
Apart from the by-elections, the new commission must also tackle the long-overdue boundary review, which should happen every 8 to 12 years. The last review was done in 2012, meaning the process is now seriously behind schedule with just two years left before the next general elections.
Other critical assignments include a voter register audit, mass voter registration, and upgrading the electoral technology infrastructure. This involves replacing outdated systems such as the KIEMS and BVRS kits, which have been used in past elections.
The swearing-in of the new commissioners followed a legal twist. President William Ruto had to re-gazette their appointments after the High Court nullified the earlier notice, ruling it violated an existing court order issued on May 29.
A three-judge bench — Justices Roselyne Aburili, John Chigiti, and Bahati Mwamuye — declared the first gazette notice invalid, paving the way for a legally sound reappointment process.
Details of IEBC’s First Tasks After Commissioners’ Swearing In
