NAIROBI,Kenya Aug 5 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has appointed Deputy Commission Secretary in charge of Operations Ruth Kulundu as its Acting Chief Executive Officer and Commission Secretary following the expiry of Moses Ledama Sunkuli’s six-month acting tenure.
In an internal memo dated August 4, 2026, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said Kulundu will assume office with effect from August 5 for a period of two months or until the recruitment and appointment of a substantive Chief Executive Officer and Commission Secretary is concluded.
“The Commission has appointed Ruth Kulundu to the position of Acting Chief Executive Officer/Commission Secretary, effective August 5, 2026,” Ethekon said in the communication circulated to members of staff.
He urged employees to accord the incoming acting CEO full cooperation to ensure uninterrupted operations at the electoral agency.
“During this transition, the Commission requests all staff members to extend their full cooperation and support to Ms Kulundu to ensure our operations continue to run smoothly and efficiently,” he said.
Kulundu is among the Commission’s longest-serving senior officials and currently serves as Deputy Commission Secretary in charge of Operations, where she oversees critical electoral functions, including voter registration, election planning and the coordination of electoral operations.
She was appointed to the position in 2022 as part of a restructuring of the Commission’s senior management and has since been a key member of IEBC’s executive leadership.
Her appointment comes at a critical period as the Commission intensifies preparations for the 2027 General Election, including continuous voter registration, electoral planning and procurement processes.
The acting appointment follows the conclusion of Sunkuli’s six-month stint at the helm of the Commission. Sunkuli, the Director of Electoral Operations, was appointed Acting CEO in February following the departure of former Commission Secretary and CEO Marjan Hussein.
At the time, the Commission indicated that his appointment would lapse once a substantive office holder was recruited.
Meanwhile, the recruitment process for a substantive Commission Secretary and CEO is underway after the IEBC declared the position vacant last week. The Commission has invited qualified candidates to apply, with applications closing on August 11.
The successful candidate will be appointed on a four-year renewable contract and will serve as the Commission’s accounting officer, overseeing the day-to-day administration of the Secretariat, implementation of Commission decisions, financial management and preparations for the 2027 General Election.
The recruitment of a substantive CEO is viewed as one of the final steps in reconstituting the electoral body following the appointment of a new Commission chaired by Erastus Ethekon, as IEBC seeks to strengthen its leadership ahead of the next General Election.
