In a joint statement issued on May 13, 2025, eight opposition leaders said the IEBC selection panel must publish the report for public scrutiny.
They argued that the report’s release would allow Kenyans to assess whether the panel conducted a fair and lawful recruitment process, particularly regarding impartiality.
The statement was signed by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Martha Karua (People’s Liberation Party), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Eugene Wamalwa (DAP-K), Mukhisa Kituyi, Jubilee Party Chairperson Torome Saitoti, and Justin Muturi (Democratic Party).
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, who also endorsed the statement, was identified as the leader of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) party.
“We demand the immediate and full publication of the selection panel's exit report and all Hansard records, so the public can scrutinise the criteria used to recommend the six nominees for the commission,” the leaders said.
The panel had on May 6 submitted nine names to President William Ruto, from which six were to be nominated as commissioners and one as the chairperson of the IEBC.
President Ruto nominated Erastus Edung Ethekon as the next IEBC chairperson, and Anne Nderitu, Moses Mukwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor, Francis Odhiambo, and Fahima Abdalla as commissioners.
However, while the panel officially handed its report to the President at State House, its contents—including the full list of the 11 shortlisted candidates—were not made public.
The selection process was conducted under the Secretariat of Parliament.
On May 13, 2025, the opposition leaders criticised the failure to release the exit report, arguing its secrecy undermines the integrity of the entire recruitment process.
“As the People's Opposition, we will not sit back and watch the subversion of democracy,” the leaders stated.
They further announced plans to establish a "People’s IEBC"—a citizen-led watchdog that will act as a shadow commission to monitor and evaluate the official IEBC.
According to the leaders, the People’s IEBC will aim to uphold the highest standards of transparency, integrity, and constitutionalism, in line with national values and principles of good governance.
“What we feared has now come to pass,” the statement read, insisting that the recruitment process has failed to foster a level playing field ahead of the 2027 general election.
