High Court Declares Ruto’s IEBC Commissioner Appointments Unconstitutional

Kenyan High Court Strikes Down President Ruto’s IEBC Commissioner Appointments

Kenya’s High Court has declared President William Ruto’s appointment of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners unconstitutional. The three-judge bench ruled Tuesday that Ruto violated existing court orders when he gazetted the nominees.

Justices Bahati Mwamuye, John Chigiti, and Roselyne Aburili found the President acted in direct defiance of interim orders issued by Justice Lawrence Mugambi. The court declared all appointments null and void due to this constitutional breach.

The ruling creates a significant legal setback for Ruto’s administration. The President had moved forward with formalizing the IEBC appointments despite pending court challenges that specifically prohibited such action.

However, the court delivered a mixed verdict. While striking down the appointments and gazettement process, the judges upheld the underlying recruitment procedures used to select the commissioners. This means the selection process itself remains legally valid.

The decision highlights ongoing tensions between Kenya’s executive and judicial branches. The IEBC plays a crucial role in managing Kenya’s elections, making these appointments politically sensitive and constitutionally significant.

The ruling effectively forces the government to restart the appointment process while respecting court orders. Legal experts suggest this decision reinforces judicial oversight of executive actions and constitutional compliance requirements.

The affected commissioners must now await a new appointment process that follows proper legal procedures and court directives.

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