President Uhuru Declares Four Vacant Positions in IEBC

President Kenyatta has officially declared four vacancies in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). 

Kenyatta declared the positions vacant through a special gazette notice dated April 14th, 2021. 

“IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred by section 7A (2) of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act, 2011, I, Uhuru Kenyatta, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, declare vacancies in the positions of four members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission,” the gazette notice states.

The four positions were left vacant following the resignation of IEBC Vice-Chairperson Consolata Nkatha and Commissioners Margaret Mwachanya, Paul Kurgat, and Roselyn Akombe.

Nkatha, Mwachanya, and Kurgat announced their resignation in a joint media briefing on April 16th, 2018, citing a lack of confidence in IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati.

On the other hand, Akombe fled the country to the US from where she announced her resignation on October 18th, 2017, saying she feared for her life after receiving multiple threats. This came a week before the October 26th, 2017 repeat presidential election.

The resignation of the four left the commission with only three members—Chebukati and Commissioners Boya Molu and Abdi Yakub Guliye.