The newly installed IEBC chairperson Erastus Ethekon Edung via a press release on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, fired back at the Orange Democratic Movement Party over what he termed as spreading misinformation regarding the replacement of John Mbadi in the National Assembly.
Mbadi, who now serves as Kenya’s Treasury Cabinet Secretary, left a vacant nominated MP seat that has since stirred political friction within ODM.
In response, Edung clarified that the Commission strictly followed the law. He revealed that the IEBC used the party list submitted by ODM in July 2022 to determine the next eligible nominee, Mr. Harold Kimuge Kipchumba.
Page 1 out 2 of IEBC press statement. Photo: Erastus Edung Source: X
Section 37 of the Elections Act and Regulation 56B of the Elections (General) Regulations, 2012, provide that a party list seat that falls vacant shall be re-allocated to the next qualified nominee in order of gender and priority. The IEBC said Kipchumba was of the same gender as Mbadi and was next in line according to the list.
However, ODM’s Youth League has strongly contested Kipchumba’s nomination. Led by President John Ketora and deputy Martin Muthusi, they claimed the Commission erred by choosing someone from the Persons with Disabilities category instead of from the Workers category, where Ketora was allegedly next.
“We cannot replace a worker with a person with disability category because they already had their slot,” said Muthusi.
The IEBC responded by saying the claims were not accurate, stressing that the order of nomination was purely based on the original list submitted by ODM.
Page 2 out 2 of IEBC press statement. Photo: Erastus Edung Source: X
“Respectfully, this is not accurate,” the Commission stated, defending its decision.
Edung further urged political actors to refrain from politicizing the process and called for public support in upholding electoral integrity.
The Constitution demands fairness, equity and respect for legitimate expectations, he said, affirming IEBC’s commitment to impartiality.
In closing, Edung reminded Kenyans that trust in institutions is crucial for democracy and asked the public to support the Commission as it works to build a more just and accountable future for all.
The changes, which were announced on July 25, 2025, are now official, with Harold Kipchumba having already taken the oath of office to replace Mbadi in Parliament.
