Africa-Press – Kenya. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) settled on Moses Ledama Sunkuli as Acting CEO following the exit of Marjan Hussein Marjan.
Sunkuli currently serves as the Commission Director of Electoral Operations.
The IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon said he “brings extensive experience and internal institutional knowledge to this role.”
His background within the institution places him at the centre of the Commission’s operational structures.
The appointment is temporary.
The Commission stated that Sunkuli “will serve in an acting capacity for a period of six (6) months or until the recruitment and appointment of a substantive Chief Executive Officer is finalised.” This sets a defined timeline for the transition period.
But who is Moses Sunkuli?
The Kilgoris-born electoral agency boss sprung into news during the 2022 General Elections when he went into hiding during the Bomas Tallying Centre (NTC) for fear of arrest.
Late IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati had complained that DCI officers were harassing his staff and some had either been kidnapped or fled for fear of abductions.
As an officer in charge of operations then at the NTC, Sunkuli is said to have left his gadgets at the Bomas and fled only to emerge later after President William Ruto had been declared President-elect.
He was targeted after he was allegedly named as one of the key allies of Chebukati alongside other officers who were in charge fo the tallying and verification exercise of presidential results.
Speaking at the Bomas of Kenya, moments before announcing William Ruto as the president-elect, Chebukati alleged that IEBC officials had on more than one occasion been hounded by unknown individuals who allegedly wanted to compromise the integrity of the election process.
“We have walked the journey of ensuring Kenyans get free, fair and credible elections. It’s not been an easy journey. Right now two of my commissioners and the CEO are injured; we have staff who have been profiled. There is a staff member who disappeared while on duty. We have staff who have been arbitrarily arrested for no reason and I don’t know where they are at the moment,” Chebukati said back then.
Following the declaration, the then Azimio Coaltion rejected the results, buoyed by a move by four of the seven commissioners disowning the results.
The Supreme Court later dismissed the case affirming Ruto’s victory.
Sunkuli is an alumnus of Kilgoris High School and is a trained teacher having graduated with a Bachelor of Education Degree (BEd), Secondary Education and teaching from Moi University.
He holds a Diploma in Business Management from the Kenya Institute of Management (2003) and also another degree; a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Comm) from the University of Nairobi as ell as a Master’s of Business Administration, Strategic Management, from the same institution in 2016.
The new boss also studied Management of Democratic Elections in Africa at the University of South Africa and is a registered under the Associate of Chartered Insurance of London (ACII) and Kenya (AIIK) and Associate of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Kenya Chapter), according o his IEBC profile.
In December 2023, he was among those who got national awards; Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) in by President William Ruto.
Professional Career
Sunkuli’s career is defined by a consistent upward trajectory within the Commission, reflecting deep technical expertise and understanding of Kenya’s electoral landscape:
Director, Electoral Operations (2022 – 2026): Oversaw the logistics and technical execution of national electoral processes.
During his tenure, the Commission was honoured and recognized for its performance during the 2022 General Election including winning the Election Management Award and being runner up for the Electoral Ergonomic Award in the 19th International Electoral Affairs Symposium and Awards Ceremony held in Lisbon, Portugal.
Manager Voter Registration (2018 – 2022): Responsible for the registration maintenance, and verification of the national register of voters; and progressive inclusion of Kenyans in diaspora in the electoral process.
County Elections Manager, Elgeyo Marakwet (2015 – 2018): Managed county-level electoral operations, stakeholder engagement, and field administration.
Constituency Election Coordinator (2010 – 2015): Gained vital frontline experience coordinating elections across diverse constituencies in Kenya, including Lugari, Isiolo North, Saku, and Narok North
Source: The Star
