Names Of 7 Members Ruto Appointed To IEBC Selection Panel
This was announced by State House spokesperson, Hussein Mohamed, who also shared a Gazette notice of the same on Monday, February 27.
Marvin Chege 
President William Ruto has appointed the selection panel for the recruitment of the nominees for appointment as the Chairperson and members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
This was announced by State House spokesperson, Hussein Mohamed, who also shared a Gazette notice of the same on Monday, February 27.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 7A of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act, 2011 (the Act), as read with Paragraph 1 (2) of the First Schedule to the Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces appoint the following," the notice read in part.
The members of the selection panel include Bethuel Sugut and Novince Euralia Atieno from the Parliamentary Service Commission.
The Political Parties Liaison Committee will be represented by its chairman Evans Misati James. The Law Society of Kenya member is Benson Ngugi Njeri of Igeria and Ngugi advocates.
Other members are Charity Kisotu, Nelson Makanda and Fatuma Saman.
The gazettement comes two weeks after President Ruto declared the vacancies of the IEBC chairperson as well as six commissioners.
Paragraph 1 (1) of the First Schedule to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act, 2011 ("the Act") requires that at least six months before the lapse of the term of the Chairperson or a Member(s) of the Commission the President shall appoint a Selection Panel comprising of seven persons for recruitment of their successor(s) in Office.
In a Gazette notice, the Head of State declared the positions previously held by Chairman Wafula Chebukati, Vice Chairperson Juliana Cherera, Commissioners Boya Molu, Abdi Guliye, Francis Wanderi and Justus Nyang'aya vacant.
Chebukati, Molu and Guliye retired after their six-year term came to an end on January 17, 2023. Cherera, Wanderi and Nyang'aya however stepped down from their roles in the midst of ongoing investigations into the 2022 general elections.
“Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred 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, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, declare vacancies in the positions of Chairperson and five Members,” read the Gazette notice in part.
For Irene Masit, a tribunal chaired by Justice Aggrey Muchelule which was set up by the President to probe the conduct of the commission, recommended her removal from office, meaning that the selection panel will have to pick a fresh team of commissioners.
"Now therefore, this Tribunal recommends to Your Excellency, the President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces, pursuant to the mandate assigned vide Gazette Notice No. 14890 of 2nd December 2022, and further in accordance and in compliance with Article 251(1) and (6) that Commissioner Irene Cherop Masit be removed from office as a member of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission," the document seen by Viral Tea read in part.
The tribunal also found that Masit committed two of the three offences as listed by the petitioners who sought her ouster from IEBC.
Chebukati, Guliye and Molu oversaw the 2017 and 2022 general elections, with the former's results nullified by the Supreme Court which ordered a fresh election, and in both of the 2017 general election editions, former President Uhuru Kenyatta won.
Despite Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party Leader Raila Odinga tabling a successful petition at the Supreme Court, he lost in a similar attempt to overturn President Ruto's win in the 2022 general elections after the apex court upheld Ruto's victory.
Cherera, Wanderi, Masit and Nyang’aya were brought in about a year to the 2022 polls to replace Roselyn Akombe, Margaret Mwachanya and Paul Kurgat as well as former vice chairperson Connie Nkatha Maina, who all resigned.
