By Anderson Ojwang
Twelve hours after his appointment as the leader of the Azimio Umoja Coalition, Kalonzo Musyoka is basking in another victory. This time, it is the sacking of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chief Executive Officer Hussein Marjan.
The sacking of the Commission’s Secretary is a victory for the united opposition in their quest to defeat President William Ruto in the 2027 presidential elections.
With only 18 months to the 2027 General Election, the sacking of the CEO opens the Commission to new blood to run and manage the next general election and weeds out top leadership at the Secretariat that presided over the 2022 General Election.
Recently, Kalonzo demanded the immediate sacking of the CEO, accusing him of mishandling the last General Election and renewing contracts even before the Commission was reconstituted.
In a press statement, the IEBC said, “The IEBC today announces the formal exit of its Chief Executive Officer and Commission Secretary, Mr Hussein Marjan, after reaching an agreement to terminate his services by mutual consent. This, in effect, brings to an end his tenure at the IEBC and marks the beginning of the process of recruiting a new CEO and Secretary to the Commission.”
The Commission assured Kenyans that any changes would be designed to ensure effective institutional preparedness, strengthen internal accountability and results-oriented systems, and enhance leadership.
“The IEBC Secretariat is very crucial in service delivery on electoral management and related matters, and it is the intention of the Commission that it reflects the level of preparedness, passion, and commitment to delivering credible, free, and fair elections in Kenya,” read the statement in part.
The sacked CEO wrote, “As you may be aware, the Commission and I have mutually agreed on a structured transition in the Office of the Commission Secretary/Chief Executive Officer. I write to you today to express my sincere appreciation to each one of you for the privilege of serving alongside you over the years.”
Kalonzo demanded the immediate sacking of the CEO and had threatened to lead a protest to the IEBC offices.
“We are saying Marjan cannot preside over the elections as the CEO because he has only one year to the end of his contract. Let the Commission prepare his package and pay him off. He is the problem. We cannot have him; let him pack and go. We tell the new commissioners that they have a destiny with Kenyans,” he said.
Kalonzo accused Marjan of extending the contracts of service providers when the Commission had not been reconstituted and termed the move illegal.
“We agreed that the CEO of IEBC, when there was no Commission, moved with a lot of speed and renewed those contracts. He signed everything, and when the new commissioners came in, they found he had renewed the contracts. This was an illegal thing. He was not supposed to do it,” he said.
Kalonzo said that as one of the chairpersons in the NADCO team, they had recommended in the report that the CEO, Marjan, be sacked and should not be allowed to preside over the 2027 General Election.
“I was in the NADCO team. We recommended that Marjan be sacked. He undertook direct procurement and extended the contracts up to 2026,” he said.
Former Attorney General Justin Muturi had claimed that in July last year, Marjan met officials of Smartmatic in what he believed to be a conspiracy to rig the 2027 elections.
President William Ruto’s allies, led by his aide Faruk Kibet, told off the opposition over the attack on the IEBC.
“We have seen the opposition camping at the IEBC headquarters and the police. They have sensed defeat,” Faruk said.
Faruk also took a swipe at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, suggesting he should apply to become the Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) so that he could declare Ruto the winner of the 2027 election.
Speaking at a recent empowerment forum at Kisuluni Chief’s Camp, Kikumbulyu North Ward, Kibwezi West, Makueni County, Faruk mocked Gachagua’s concerns about the credibility of the electoral commission.
“And this issue of IEBC, I see, is troubling this tribalist. I don’t want to, I’m asking Mutuse, let this person (Gachagua) apply to IEBC to be given the position of chairman. We will just defeat him there, even when he is the chairman. He himself will announce that William Ruto has won the election,” Kibet said.
With the changes, the IEBC has blown the first whistle, and the battle for the coveted seat is now open and is likely to be muddy and gruelling.
The exit of the CEO now opens the Commission to another battlefront in the appointment of a new Secretary. Who will have their say and way?
