By Judy Maina
NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenyan President William Ruto has nominated Erastus Ethekon as the new chairperson of Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), a critical appointment that could shape the country’s electoral future amid deepening political tensions.
The announcement, made Thursday evening, follows months of delays in reconstituting the IEBC, a body long at the center of Kenya’s fiercely contested elections.
Mr. Ethekon, a career public servant and former regional commissioner, was selected from a shortlist forwarded by a parliamentary selection panel earlier this year.
The news sparked celebrations in his home county of Turkana, a historically marginalized region in northern Kenya. Videos shared on social media showed residents dancing and chanting slogans in support of Mr. Ethekon, who is widely regarded as one of the most senior civil servants to hail from the region.
“This is a victory not just for Turkana, but for the integrity of the electoral process,” said Josephat Lochee, a local youth leader. “We finally feel seen.”
Mr. Ethekon’s appointment still requires parliamentary approval, though analysts expect smooth confirmation given President Ruto’s majority alliance in the National Assembly.
The IEBC has been without a substantive chair since the resignation of Wafula Chebukati in early 2023. The electoral body has struggled to regain public trust following disputes over the 2022 general election, which Mr. Ruto narrowly won amid claims of irregularities from opposition leader Raila Odinga.
In a statement from State House, President Ruto described Mr. Ethekon as “a seasoned administrator with the capacity to restore credibility and professionalism to Kenya’s electoral system.”
But the nomination drew mixed reactions in Nairobi, where critics voiced concern over the timing and transparency of the selection process.
“The country needed a unifying figure,” said Gladys Alubala, a civil society campaigner focused on electoral reforms.
“We’re watching closely to see if Ethekon can rise above the political fray.”
If confirmed, Mr. Ethekon will lead the IEBC into a tense political period, with a national referendum on constitutional changes looming and several key by-elections scheduled in the coming months.
