The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Tuesday, February 3, sacked its chief executive officer, Mr Hussein Marjan, less than a week after opposition leaders demanded his removal.
The move, announced in the evening, brings a swift end to Mr Marjan’s tenure with 399 days remaining on his contract—one year, one month, and six days.
While the Commission framed the move as a positive step aimed at boosting public confidence, particularly among opposition groups, sources told the Nation the decision had been in the works for some time, though the timing coincided with heightened political pressure.
Appointed on March 9, 2022, Mr Marjan swas set to serve a five-year term ending March 9, 2027. Insiders described a period of intense activity at IEBC headquarters in Anniversary Towers, Nairobi.
Meetings were reportedly held both with and without Mr Marjan, as his role and future were repeatedly on the agenda. Central to these deliberations was procurement and public trust ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Some members of the tendering committee faced scrutiny over decisions made months before the current commissioners took office.
The opposition has raised concerns over IEBC’s management of the upcoming polls, particularly regarding Smartmatic, the voting technology company deployed in the 2022 elections.
While the opposition wants the company dropped, sources suggest the contract may have been extended under unclear circumstances.
Initially set to expire in November, Smartmatic may still play a role in the next elections.
“The changes are meant to enhance effectiveness, efficiency, transparency, and accountability of the secretariat in service delivery to the people of Kenya,” IEBC Chairman Erastus Ethekon said in a statement on Tuesday.
Questions have also been raised internally over voter registration, with indications that progress has fallen short of expectations.
As accounting officer and head of the secretariat, the IEBC chief executive reports to the Commission, chaired by Mr Ethekon. The Commission had operated for months without commissioners following the departure of the late Wafula Chebukati, Abdi Guliye, and Boya Molu.
According to sources, upon learning of his impending dismissal, Mr Marjan approached the chairman seeking a negotiated exit.
He reportedly requested a written confirmation that his departure was by mutual consent, which the chairman granted. However, once he received the letter last week, Mr Marjan engaged legal counsel and responded to the chairman on Friday at 5 pm with several demands, including full payment through the end of his contract in March 2027 and compensation for unused leave.
His counter-proposal prompted the chairman to convene a meeting with five commissioners on Monday afternoon. The vice-chair was absent, attending to private matters.
Deliberations in this session were minuted and later used as a formal basis for terminating Mr Marjan’s contract.
Five commissioners who had been attending a week-long workshop in Naivasha were urgently recalled to Nairobi on Monday for the crisis meeting.
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairperson Erastus Ethekon (centre), ex-CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan (left) and Vice Chairperson Fahima Araphat Abdallah address the media at Pride Inn Paradise in Shanzu, Mombasa County on July 19, 2025.
Photo credit: Wachira Mwangi | Nation Media Group
On Monday, Mr Marjan reportedly reported for duty at 8 am and left at 3 pm. It remains unclear whether he attended the meeting that ratified his contract termination.
His deputies, Ms Ruth Kulundu and Mr Obadiah Keitany, are also expected to exit the commission in March and May 2027, respectively.
The Commission held a concluding meeting on Tuesday, starting at 3:30 pm and lasting about two hours. Reporters stationed at Anniversary Towers witnessed heightened activity before and after the session.
Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana was first to arrive, followed by Commissioner Anne Nderitu and Professor Aduol.
By 5:36 pm, Prof Aduol left the meeting, followed shortly by Ms Nderitu and Commissioner Hassan Noor, who described the gathering as a “normal meeting” when approached by journalists.
Mr Marjan appeared at the reception around 6 pm, surprised by media presence. Asked about the meeting’s outcome, he declined comment: “Sorry, I’m not going to speak to the media.”
Meanwhile, the chairman and Commissioner Alutalala remained in the chairman’s office until late evening.
Two statements released after the meeting highlighted the coordinated messaging from the CEO’s office and the chairman. The first, from Mr Marjan, confirmed his departure by mutual consent:
“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.”
“As I move on, I do so wiser, enriched and deeply grateful for the over decade of invaluable experience in elections management. The lessons, relationships and shared purpose will remain with me always,” the statement read.
Twelve minutes later, the chairman issued a statement confirming the exit:
“The IEBC announces the formal exit of its CEO and Commission Secretary after reaching an agreement to terminate his services by mutual consent.”
“This in effect brings to an end his tenure in IEBC and marks the beginning of the process of recruitment of a new CEO,” Mr Ethekon said.
The IEBC chairman assured Kenyans that, despite the CEO’s exit, the Commission would undertake critical reforms to ensure readiness in delivering credible, free, and fair elections.
