Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Thursday appointed Moses Ledama Sunkuli as acting Chief Executive Officer and Commission Secretary, effective immediately. The move follows the exit of CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan on 3 February 2026 under what the commission described as a mutual agreement to terminate his services.
What the appointment changes now
Sunkuli currently serves as Director of Electoral Operations. He will hold the interim post for six months or until a substantive CEO and Commission Secretary are recruited. IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon said Sunkuli brings “extensive experience and deep institutional knowledge” to guide the transition. The commission cast the leadership shift as orderly and focused on readiness for upcoming electoral activities.
Quick explainer: The IEBC CEO is the commission’s accounting officer and head of the secretariat. The Commission Secretary is the statutory title for the same officeholder in Kenyan law.
How we got here: Marjan’s tenure and departure
Marjan’s message to staff and the commission’s statement framed his exit as amicable. Local reporting traced growing political pressure over procurement, technology choices, and institutional trust. Debate intensified in January, when opposition leaders pressed for changes at the secretariat. Marjan, who joined IEBC leadership in 2015 and became CEO in March 2022, had emphasized operational controls, finances, and stakeholder engagement.
Reform headwinds and political scrutiny
Opposition voices, including Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, had questioned IEBC’s technology roadmap and urged leadership changes to bolster confidence ahead of 2027. They cited concerns about Smartmatic’s potential role in election systems and said a new secretariat head was necessary for credibility. Those calls formed part of wider demands for transparency and procurement oversight. Meanwhile, the commission continued to present its 2027 readiness framework to lawmakers.
IEBC appoints acting CEO: why it matters
Kenya enters a critical preparation phase. An acting CEO must steer procurement, legal compliance, voter registration, and ICT integration, while managing relationships with parties and civil society. Clear timelines for recruiting a permanent CEO could help address trust deficits. The commission says it will expedite the process, while maintaining service delivery standards and continuity in operations.
The next six months
Sunkuli’s mandate covers continuity and transition. Key watch points include procurement for election technology, budget execution, and progress on voter registration targets already flagged by the commission. Parliamentary engagement on the 2027 readiness plan will continue, with scrutiny of both policy choices and delivery. Observers will focus on whether the interim leadership steadies the IEBC and rebuilds confidence before the General Election cycle intensifies.
In sum, the IEBC has moved to fill the top secretariat role on an interim basis while beginning a search for a permanent CEO. That step, and how it is managed, will shape perceptions of preparedness and independence ahead of 2027.
