Following a two-year wait for the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), President William Ruto has nominated new commissioners to the electoral body. While speculation had centred around Anne Amadi, the former Chief Registrar of the Judiciary, and Charles Nyachae as potential nominees for the chairperson role, the President ultimately named Erastus Edung Ethekon, 48, as his preferred candidate.

Ethekon, the former County Attorney of Turkana County, is scheduled to appear before the National Assembly for vetting on May 26. If approved, he will assume leadership of the IEBC.

Before his nomination, he served as a consultant partner at Northern Consulting Solutions and Ethekon & Co. Advocates, bringing over two decades of experience in legal and advisory services. His career began at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where he worked from 2007 to 2015 as a Programme Management Specialist and later as a Programmes Advisor. He also served for three years as a programme coordinator and Chief Technical Advisor on Area-Based Development Programming in Kenya.

In 2018, he was appointed County Attorney for Turkana County, a role he held for six years.

Ethekon holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi and a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law. He also earned a Postgraduate Certificate in the Implementation of International Human Rights Treaties from the University of Nottingham in the UK. In addition, he holds three Master’s degrees: an MA in Peace, Conflict and Development Studies from Universidad Jaume I (Spain), an MSc in Project Management from the University of Liverpool (UK), and an LL.M in Oil, Gas and Energy Law from the University of Derby (UK).

During his vetting interview, Ethekon committed to upholding integrity, transparency, and accountability within the IEBC. He stated that, if confirmed, he would consult with the Judiciary and the Attorney General’s Office on the matter of electoral boundary delimitation.

Responding to concerns about his age, Ethekon maintained that he is fully capable of handling the demands of the position. “My age is not a factor. I have the stamina, strength, and mental capacity to withstand the pressures of the role,” he said.