Petitioners urge CJ Koome to stop swearing-in of new IEBC team

Petitioners challenging the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) have written to Chief Justice Martha Koome seeking orders to stop the Judiciary from swearing-in the newly gazetted team.

Petitioners Kelvin Omondi and Boniface Mwangi are accusing President William Ruto of being in contempt of court in gazetting the new team, when a case challenging the process of the formation of the new commission is before court for determination.

The petitioners argue that: “Your Ladyship, the Judiciary remains the last bastion of hope in upholding the rule of law and the constitutionalism. Vide this letter, we humbly urge your good office and the Judiciary as a whole not to participate in any oath taking and assumption of office by the interested parties until the subject petition is heard and determined as was so ordered.”

President Ruto, in a gazette notice dated June 20, 2025, appointed Erastus Edung Ethekon as the new IEBC Chairperson.

The Head of State also appointed six new commissioners, among them Registrar of Political Parties Ann Njeri Nderitu.

The others are: Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah.