CJ Martha Koome shares a light moment with IEBC selection panelists Fatuma Ali Saman and Carolene Kituku after their swearing-in at the Supreme Court, January 31, 2025/ DOUGLAS OKIDDYThe swearing-in of the last two of the nine IEBC selection panelists on Friday set the ball rolling for the team to embark on a time-bound process of picking new commissioners and chairman of the electoral agency in readiness for the 2027 General Election.
Carolyne Kituku, nominated by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and Fatuma Saman from the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya, took their oath at the Supreme Court of Kenya in a ceremony presided over by Chief Justice Martha Koome, bringing to nine the total number of panelists.
Seven other appointed panel members took their oaths on Monday.
They are Lindah Gakii and Adams Oloo, nominated by the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), Evans Misati, Nicodemus Bore, and Koki Muli, representing the Political Parties Liaison Committee; Andrew Kipkoech from ICPAK and Nelson Makanda of the Interreligious Council of Kenya.
The team's first assignment is to elect a chairperson and deputy chairperson, whose presence is critical in signing invitations for applicants wishing to fill the position of chairperson and commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
While presiding over the swearing-in ceremony of the team, CJ Koome implored the panel to ensure its picks individuals whose integrity is beyond reproach.
"The future of Kenya’s democracy depends on the integrity of the men and women you select to lead the IEBC. The commissioners you appoint must be individuals of untainted credibility—committed to independence, impartiality, and the principles enshrined in our Constitution," she said.
"The IEBC is not just another government agency; it is the custodian of our electoral integrity, and its composition must reflect the highest standards of professionalism and credibility," Koome emphasised.
The panel has strict timelines—90 days—within which it must establish a fully constituted IEBC.
That means the team is expected to deliver on that mandate by April 27, 2025.
January 27, 2025
President William Ruto appointed the nine-member IEBC selection panel via a gazette notice published on Monday, January 27.
This marked the end of a nearly three-year delay in constituting the panel as some parties haggled in court over the composition of the team.
On January 24, the High Court in Kiambu dismissed a petition filed by Bonface Njogu on grounds that he failed to prove that persons living with disabilities had been excluded in the panel’s selection process.
February 2, 2025
The selection panel has a maximum of seven days from the date of their appointment to invite applications from qualified persons for the position of IEBC chairperson and six commissioners.
This means the panel has until February 2 to publish the list of names of all applicants and their qualifications in the government gazette and newspapers.
Selection and interviewing of applicants
After publication of the applicants and their qualifications, the selection panel uses the remaining 83 days of the 90 days to shortlist and interview the candidates publicly before submitting the list of successful candidates to the President.
The team is by law supposed to submit two candidates for the position of chairperson and nine for commissioners' positions.
May 3, 2025
Seven days after receiving the names, the President is expected to choose and submit the name of one person for the position of chairperson and six names for commissioner positions to the National Assembly for approval.
This means the President must submit the list on May 3, 2025.
May 31, 2025
The National Assembly has a maximum of 28 days within which to conduct the vetting process of the candidates and either approve or reject their nomination.
June 7, 2025
Seven days after receiving names of the approved nominees, the President has a maximum of seven days within which he must appoint the new IEBC chairperson and commissioners via a gazette notice.
If these timelines are adhered to, the country will have a fully constituted IEBC at least two years before the next General Election.
In the past decade, commissioners to the electoral agency have been appointed into office too close to elections, a move many argued hampered preparedness.
For instance, the Wafula Chebukati team was appointed just months before the 2017 elections after being selected at the end of 2016.
The trend was repeated when four new commissioners were put in office in August 2021, just a year before the 2022 elections.