Nelson Makanda Elected To Chair IEBC Selection Panel
This was done following an exercise held on Friday, January 31 during the panel’s first meeting
Marvin Chege 
Dr Nelson Makanda has been elected as the chairperson of the newly-formed Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Selection panel, a move that begins to establish the leadership structure of the nine-member team.
This was done following an exercise held on Friday, January 31 during the panel’s first meeting, with Makanda rallying the panel to ensure that the process of picking the next chairperson and commissioners of the country's premier electoral body is completed within an 85-day timeframe.
“For the next 85 days or less, we, as the Selection Panel, have undertaken to ensure that we deliver on our mandate of giving Kenyans the next chairperson and members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission,” Makanda said.
He will be deputized by Lindah Kiome. Makanda went on to state that the IEBC Act requires the panel to, within seven days of its appointment, invite applications from qualified persons and publish the names and qualifications of all applicants in the gazette, two national newspapers, and on the website of the Parliamentary Service Commission.
Chief Justice Martha Koome with the nine-member IEBC selection panel at the Supreme Court building after the swearing-in, in Nairobi on January 27, 2025. /MARTHA KOOME
“In this regard, the panel shall, tomorrow, February 1, 2025, invite applications from qualified Kenyans for the positions of chairperson and members of the IEBC,” he stated, adding “I assure Kenyans that the Selection Panel is committed to conducting the recruitment exercise in an impartial, fair and transparent manner.”
In a gazette notice on Monday, January 27, President William Ruto appointed Kiome, Oloo Adams, James Evans Misati, Nicodemus Kipchirchir Bore, Ambassador Koki Muli, Grignon Carolene Kituku, Tanui Andrew Kipkoech, Makanda and Fatuma Saman to be members of the panel.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 7A of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act, as read with paragraph 1 (2) of the First Schedule to the Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint (the 9-member team) to be Members of the Selection Panel for the Recruitment of nominees for appointment as the Chairperson and Members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission," read the notice in part.
The Head of State further revoked an earlier notice of selection panel appointments that had been Gazetted in 2023. The appointment came three days after the High Court on Friday, January 24 cleared the way for Parliament to send the names of nine members of the selection panel to President Ruto for appointment.
Nelson Makanda Profile
Dr. Makanda is a seasoned Christian leader with over 25 years of experience in church leadership, para-church organizations, and community service. He has extensive expertise in peace and conflict resolution, theology, healthcare enterprise, resource mobilization, and leadership.
Currently serving as the General Secretary of the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya (EAK), Kenya’s leading evangelical ecumenical movement, Dr. Makanda has also held various leadership positions, including pastor, middle-level manager, deputy CEO, and Deputy General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK). Previously, he served as an associate pastor at Nairobi Baptist Church.
His vast leadership experience includes involvement in transformational leadership, resource mobilization, and strategic turnaround initiatives. He has served on several national committees and task forces, including the Academic Committee of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development. Additionally, he was part of the Competency-Based Curriculum Taskforce led by Prof. Fatuma Chege, which aimed at improving access, relevance, transition, equity, and quality in Kenya’s education reforms.
Dr. Makanda has also been a member of the Governing Council and Board of Trustees at Africa International University (AIU) and currently chairs the AIU Alumni. He is a founding trustee of Africa Rural Trainers (ART-Trust), a Christian organization dedicated to equipping rural pastors with leadership, pastoral, and biblical skills for effective ministry.
Academically, he holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Egerton University, a master’s degree in biblical studies from the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (NEGST), and a PhD in Biblical Studies from Africa International University.
As the leader now entrusted with overseeing the formation of Kenya’s new IEBC Commission, Dr. Makanda has also contributed to publications such as Seek Peace: Enhancing Peacebuilding in Church and Community (2009) and Recovering the Beauty and Blessing of Ethnic Diversity (2010). He is married to Caroline Makanda, and they have four children.
