The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has appointed Ruth Kulundu as its Acting Chief Executive Officer, placing her at the centre of the commission’s operations as preparations for the next General Election continue.
Kulundu officially assumes the role on August 5, 2026, while retaining her position as the Deputy Commission Secretary in charge of Operations.
IEBC said the appointment is temporary as the commission begins the process of recruiting a substantive CEO following the vacancy left in February 2026.
The position became vacant after former CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan resigned following a mutual agreement to terminate his services, amid pressure from opposition parties calling for his departure ahead of the next General Election.
The role was previously held by Moses Ledama Sunkuli, who will now continue serving as the Director of Electoral Operations.
Kulundu brings more than 12 years of experience in election administration, having served as an IEBC Regional Elections Coordinator between 2010 and 2017 before becoming a County Elections Manager.
She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Strategic Management from the University of Nairobi and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the same institution.
She is also an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London and Kenya, as well as an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Kenya Chapter.
IEBC advertised the CEO position on July 28, 2026, with interested candidates expected to submit their applications by August 11.
However, Kulundu’s return to a senior leadership role at the commission comes with a history of controversy. In 2023, she was interdicted by former CEO Marjan over allegations of gross misconduct, insubordination and involvement in activities that allegedly violated her employment terms.
Marjan accused Kulundu of impersonation and organising an unauthorised commission plenary meeting involving four commissioners who disputed the 2022 presidential election results.
The meeting was linked to the selection of legal firms to represent the commission in the presidential election petition filed by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga.
However, the court suspended the disciplinary action against Kulundu after finding that she had raised issues that required proper consideration in her defence.
“The court found that Kulundu had presented a case requiring determination and suspended the action against her pending further proceedings,” according to the court’s ruling.
IEBC said Kulundu will now help steer the commission’s operations as it prepares for the next electoral cycle.
“Kulundu will serve as Acting Chief Executive Officer while retaining her role as Deputy Commission Secretary in charge of Operations,” IEBC confirmed.
