Ruto Declares Vacancies at IEBC as Wafula Chebukati, Two Commissioners Retire
As Chairman Wafula Chebukati of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and two commissioners prepare to retire, President William Ruto has declared vacancies at the organization.
Ruto Declares Vacancies at IEBC as Wafula Chebukati, Two Commissioners Retire
As Chairman Wafula Chebukati of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and two commissioners prepare to retire, President William Ruto has declared vacancies at the organization.
The non-renewable six-year terms of Mr. Chebukati and commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu at the electoral agency will come to an end on January 17.
It’s unclear if the three have taken the obligatory three-month terminal leave.
A special gazette notice dated October 21 in which President Ruto announced the openings is expected to kickstart the hiring of three new commissioners to join Vice-Chairperson Juliana Cherera and commissioners Irene Masit, Francis Wanderi, and Justus Nyang’aya.
Due to their decision to reject the presidential results that were used to determine the victor of the August 9 election, Ms. Cherera, Ms. Masit, Mr. Wandera, and Mr. Ngang’aya are all facing attempts to have them removed by Dr. Ruto allies.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed Mr. Chebukati, Prof. Guliye, and Mr. Molu in January 2017 along with four other individuals who infamously quit following the 2017 General Elections.
The letter notes that the Chairperson and two Members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, who were appointed on January 18, 2017, will have their terms expire on January 17, 2023.
According to the IEBC Act’s First Schedule, the president must create a selection committee responsible for selecting new commissioners at least six months before their terms as chairperson or member of the commission expire.
I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces, hereby give notice of upcoming vacancies in the positions of chairperson and two members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. I am doing this in accordance with the authority granted by Section 7A (2) of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act as read with Paragraph 1 (1) of the First Schedule of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act.
