For the next 25 months or so, Erastus Ethekon will have his in-tray full as he steers Kenya into the August 2027 General Election following his swearing in today by Chief Justice Martha Koome.

Ethekon will be leading a team of commissioners Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah, who now must shoulder the heavy duty of building public trust in Kenya's fractured election system.

As the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Ethekon and the commissioners will be starting their job roughly two years after the country started the process to fully constitute the polls agency. 

During the last two years, the recruitment process has been slowed by court cases and agitation by different political factions, thereby, delaying it.

"Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democratic society. The IEBC is entrusted with the solemn responsibility that every citizen's voice is not only heard but honoured," Ethekon said at the Supreme Court grounds immediately after being sworn in.

He added: "My first loyalty is to the People of Kenya who hold the sovereign power under Article 1 of the Constitution. I urge all Kenyans to ensure that we use the opportunity to build a peaceful, stable and secure democracy."

While appreciating the mountain of challenges that befell his predecessors, Ethekon cited the negative impact of misinformation, disinformation and fake news that continues to grip the country's election system, issues that can potentially go a long way in sowing divisions or eroding the validity of election outcomes

"We have an opportunity to work with the news outlets to ensure that we educate, inform and focus on factual truths," Ethekon noted. 

"I call upon all Kenyans and other stakeholders that as we plan for the by-elections and the General Election that we work together to have a peaceful election. A credible election is not only IEBC's mandate but a collective responsibility."

Chief Justice Martha Koome challenged the new IEBC team to ensure that the country's democracy is preserved and honoured. "This swearing in ceremony is not just about the fulfilment of a legal requirement rather it is about the transfer of trust transferred to you by Kenyans…The cry from every corner of our nation is for integrity, accountability and justice."

Ethekon's team must hit the ground running and undertake some long overdue business, that is, carrying out a number of by-elections across the country affecting positions where some lawmakers were picked to join the executive, while others have died in office. 

Since the August 2022 General Election, the IEBC has never conducted any by-election in Kenya awaiting the full constitution of the Commission.

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