Ruto appoints panel to recruit IEBC chair, commissioners [List]

President William Ruto has officially appointed a selection panel tasked with recruiting nominees for the positions of Chairperson and members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). 

The appointments, announced through a special issue of the Kenya Gazette dated January 27, 2025, come just days after the High Court lifted orders that had previously barred their selection.

The panel, appointed under the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act, will oversee the nomination process for new IEBC commissioners, a crucial step in restoring the electoral body’s full operational capacity.

The selection panel comprises the following members:

• Kione Lindah Gaiki,

• Oloo Adams (Prof.)

• James Evans Misati

• Nicodemus Kipchirchir Bore

• Koki Muli Grignon (Amb.)

• Carolene Kituku

• Tanui Andrew Kipkoech

• Nelson Makanda (Dr.)

• Fatuma Saman

The appointments mark a key development in Kenya’s electoral process, as the country looks to fill vacancies in the electoral commission ahead of the next General Election cycle.

President Ruto’s move follows last Friday’s High Court ruling, which lifted the injunction that had prevented the government from constituting the selection panel. 

The legal battle over the composition of the IEBC selection panel has been ongoing since last year, with various stakeholders challenging the process.

The revocation of the previous Gazette Notice No. 2641 of 2023, which had earlier established a selection panel, clears the way for a fresh recruitment process.

Following President William Ruto’s appointment of the selection panel for the recruitment of nominees to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the process of constituting a new electoral body is now set to begin. 

With the selection panel in place, its first task will be to hold an initial sitting where members will elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among themselves. The Parliamentary Service Commission will provide secretariat services and logistical support to facilitate the panel’s operations.

Before assuming their duties, the chairperson and members of the panel will be required to take an oath or affirmation of office, as stipulated in the IEBC Act. 

Once sworn in, the panel will invite applications from qualified individuals for the vacant positions of IEBC Chairperson and Commissioners.