The Justice and Legal Affairs Committee JLAC of the National Assembly will hold approval hearings on Saturday, May 31, 2025, for the presidential nominees for the positions of Chairperson and Commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission IEBC.
This follows the lifting of a temporary court order that had halted the vetting process. The High Court had issued conservatory orders on May 19, 2025, suspending the vetting pending the determination of a petition challenging the nomination process. However, the court has since allowed the process to proceed, enabling JLAC to resume its mandate.
President William Ruto nominated Erastus Edung Ethekon as the new IEBC Chairperson to succeed Wafula Chebukati, who passed away in February 2025. The six nominees for the Commissioner positions are:
Ann Nderitu (Nyandarua), Moses Alutalala Mukhwana (Kakamega), Mary Karen Sorobit (Uasin Gishu, Hassan Noor Hassan (Mandera), Francis Odhiambo Aduol (Kisumu), Fahima Araphat Abdallah (Lamu)
The nominations followed recommendations by a selection panel chaired by Nelson Makanda, which submitted its report to the President on May 6, 2025. The panel had shortlisted two candidates for the chairperson role and nine others for the six commissioner positions. The President picked seven nominees from this list.
The JLAC had initially planned to hold the approval hearings on May 26, 2025, as per a public notice issued by National Assembly Clerk Samwel Njoroge. However, the process was delayed due to the court order. With the court’s clearance, the committee is now set to proceed with the vetting on May 31, 2025.
The public was invited to submit sworn written statements (affidavits) on the suitability of the nominees by May 21, 2025. During the vetting process, nominees are required to present clearance certificates from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, and the Credit Reference Bureau.
The JLAC is expected to submit its report to the House for approval following the vetting process. If approved, the nominees will be formally appointed by the President.
