Kenya’s newly-minted People’s United Opposition (PUO) has accused President William Ruto of “state-capture in broad daylight” after he forwarded seven names to fill the long-vacant Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

In a fiery Tuesday morning press statement, the coalition, fronted by Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Fred Matiang’i and five other party heavyweights, claims the list “isn’t a commission for the people; it’s a project designed to rig the 2027 election.”

Why the uproar?

• Stacked shortlist, opaque process. The PUO says the selection panel was “a political extension of the State House,” ignoring constitutional demands for consultation and public participation. They point to last-minute inclusion of Hassan Noor Hassan – a relative of ODM whip Junet Mohamed, after the panel mysteriously extended its deadline.
• Loyalists in line for top jobs. Nominee chair Erastus Edung Ethekon, a former Turkana County attorney with close ties to State House Comptroller Josphat Nanok, heads the list. Critics argue his record “is riddled with failure.”
• Conflicts of interest. Short-listed commissioner hopefuls include Joy Midivo (a UDA official) and Charles Nyachae, son of the late powerful cabinet minister Simeon Nyachae, also said to be a close Ruto ally. Panel member Dr Adams Oloo doubles as a presidential communications adviser – “an outright breach of impartiality,” the statement says.

Article 88(2) requires the IEBC be independent, impartial and free from political influence. The opposition argues the latest picks undermine that clause, describing the agency as “an extension of the president’s 2027 campaign machine.”