IEBC leadership is about merit, not ethnicity - Duale

Health CS during the launch of the Kenya National Public Health Institute on May 8, 2025. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has supported the newly appointed Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Erastus Ethekon, terming criticism against him as "misplaced and ethnically motivated."

Speaking during an event hosted by Roweha International Academy, the CS lauded the appointment of the new chair, who hails from the marginalized Turkana community, and urged Kenyans to focus on competence, not background.

"I am very happy that, for the first time, a Turkana a minority and a very qualified lawyer has become the chairman of IEBC. People are not complaining about IEBC because they have a problem with the commission. No, they are complaining because of the chairman and where he comes from," said Duale.

The new chairperson, whose legal qualifications and public service experience have been widely acknowledged, was among seven new IEBC commissioners appointed in June 2025 to replace the previous team that oversaw the controversial 2022 elections.

His appointment was vetted and approved through the constitutional process involving the President, the National Assembly, and an independent selection panel.

Duale noted that the chair was constitutionally mandated and fully empowered to lead the commission in preparing for the 2027 General Election, and that no Kenyan should be judged on the basis of ethnicity or background.

"He is very qualified. The Constitution has given him and other members the mandate," Duale emphasized.

"Why should his ethnicity become an issue? We must stop politicizing appointments that follow due process."

Since the announcement of the new commission's leadership, some opposition leaders have questioning the impartiality and preparedness of the new team.

However, many civil society groups and legal analysts have backed the chairperson, citing his strong legal background and history of public service.

The IEBC reconstitution comes at a time of heightened political tension and in the aftermath of mass youth-led protests demanding accountability, electoral reforms, and better governance.