Who Are the IEBC Commissioners Running the 2027 Election?
Seven people run the IEBC, all sworn in on 11 July 2025: chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon, vice-chairperson Fahima Araphat Abdallah, and commissioners Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan and Francis Odhiambo Aduol. They will run the 10 August 2027 general election. Each serves a single six-year term, and none may belong to a political party.
How they got there
Four commissioners who rejected the 2022 presidential result left office in the aftermath of that election, and the commission had no full team again until these seven. President William Ruto nominated the seven on 8 May 2025 after a selection panel process, and the National Assembly's Justice and Legal Affairs Committee approved all of them in late May 2025.
A High Court challenge to the selection held things up. When it was decided, Chief Justice Martha Koome swore them in. At its first plenary that day the commission made Fahima Abdallah vice-chair, unanimously.
The seven
| Member | Role | What is on the record |
|---|---|---|
| Erastus Ethekon | Chairperson | Turkana lawyer, former Turkana County Attorney |
| Fahima Araphat Abdallah | Vice-chair | Elected vice-chair on 11 July 2025 |
| Ann Njeri Nderitu | Commissioner | Registrar of Political Parties from 2018 to July 2025 |
| Moses Alutalala Mukhwana | Commissioner | Most frequent public voice on technology and the register |
| Hassan Noor Hassan | Commissioner | Former Rift Valley Provincial Commissioner |
| Mary Karen Sorobit | Commissioner | Little public record found |
| Francis Odhiambo Aduol | Commissioner | Little public record found |
The chair is covered in our profile of Erastus Ethekon.
Abdallah said on 23 September 2026 that there would be no electronic voting in 2027 and that diaspora e-voting is targeted for 2031, The Star reported. On 1 September 2026 former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua alleged that she and Ethekon wanted to steer the election technology tender to a particular firm. The IEBC denied having any preferred supplier.
Of the six, Ann Nderitu is the best known. She became Registrar of Political Parties in 2018, the first woman in the post, and left when she joined the commission in 2025. She chairs its Election Operations committee. On 23 August 2026 she told Citizen TV that candidates do not need a university degree to run for president, governor or MP, and she has defended the ban on photographing marked ballots. Section 22(2) of the Elections Act still asks a degree of the President, the Deputy President and a deputy governor.
Mukhwana is the one who talks most about the pressure points. On 14 September 2026 he said "we still have 120 days" to procure election technology, plus 60 days for simulations, and asked the courts to speed up tender cases. After UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar suggested dead people's fingerprints could be used, Mukhwana said the fingerprint and iris checks on the KIEMS kit make voting in a dead person's name impossible. In July 2026 he confirmed that the IEBC was investigating donations by UDA-linked officials during the Ol Kalou by-election.
Hassan Noor Hassan told MPs at his vetting on 31 May 2025 that he is the brother-in-law of Junet Mohamed (Suna East), the National Assembly Minority Leader, The Star reported. He was Rift Valley Provincial Commissioner during the 2007 election crisis, and he said he was charged in the National Youth Service case and acquitted for lack of evidence.
Sorobit and Aduol keep a low profile. We found no verified reporting of their careers before the commission, or of any major public statement since they joined, so those details are left out.
The secretariat
Day-to-day operations sit with the secretariat, while commissioners set policy. Chief Executive Marjan Hussein Marjan, in post since March 2022, resigned in early February 2026, and Moses Ledama Sunkuli was named acting chief executive on 5 February 2026. In the sources we found up to 23 September 2026, the commission had not announced a substantive appointment.
What the commission faces
Ageing election technology has to be replaced while tender cases sit before the review board and the High Court. Money is short too: the Parliamentary Budget Office put the 2026/27 funding gap at Sh23.7 billion. On top of that the commission has set a target of 28.5 million registered voters and promised an independent forensic audit of the register.
On 22 September 2026 the High Court confirmed that decisions at the national tallying centre must be taken by the commission collectively, and cannot be made by the chair alone. See what the IEBC is responsible for, the registration target and the 2027 election calendar.
The procurement cases, listed for judgment on 16 October 2026, are the next test of whether the technology arrives in time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many IEBC commissioners are there?
Seven: chairperson Erastus Ethekon and six commissioners, including vice-chair Fahima Abdallah. All were sworn in on 11 July 2025.
Who is the IEBC vice chairperson?
Fahima Araphat Abdallah, elected unanimously by the commission at its first plenary on 11 July 2025.
Was Ann Nderitu the Registrar of Political Parties?
Yes. She was Registrar from 2018 until July 2025, when she left to join the IEBC as a commissioner. As of September 2026 the Registrar is John Cox Lorionokou.
How long do IEBC commissioners serve?
Commissioners serve a single six-year term and may not be members of a political party.