The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) appointed Moses Ledama Sunkuli as Acting Chief Executive Officer and Commission Secretary after Marjan Hussein Marjan left the organization earlier this week. The announcement, made on 5 February 2026, offered Sunkuli directorial duties over electoral operations when he assumed control of one of Kenya’s vital election administration roles.
The transition unfolds less than 48 hours after Marjan’s resignation from the dual role of CEO and Secretary—a departure by mutual agreement with the IEBC that caught many political and governance watchers off guard. The commission explained that its operational changes followed a predetermined approach, which enabled the organization to continue its constitutional duties before the upcoming 2027 General Election.
IEBC leadership announced that Sunkuli will begin his new role as head of the secretariat. The secretarial operations will continue until the commissioners complete their search for a new chief executive officer. Sunkuli uses his operational expertise to lead the agency, which currently conducts voter registration and by-elections and boundary delimitation and other essential activities.
The governmental shake-up occurs during a period when the electoral agency establishes new leadership personnel while the courts investigate different appointment methods used in previous years. Electoral experts believe that the ongoing leadership crisis at the IEBC main office will worsen public doubts about the commission’s ability to conduct trustworthy elections, which will occur in the upcoming year.
Sunkuli currently holds an interim position that puts him in charge of vital work needed to prepare for Kenya’s upcoming election schedule. All political organizations observe the situation while civil society and political parties demand that the commission should operate with open processes during its new duties.
The upcoming actions of the IEBC will determine which issues will take priority in governance until the 2027 elections because they must decide when to select their new CEO through immediate selection or wider outreach.
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