National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has shielded President William Ruto from criticism following the nomination of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson and commissioners.

After the selection panel completed its work of interviewing interested candidates for the chairman’s post and the commissioner’s positions, it forwarded the shortlisted names to the president. Ruto then is expected to forward them to parliament for debate and approval.

Wetang’ula argued that the president’s involvement is a constitutional pathway of selecting the new members of the IEBC and that parliament has ultimate powers.

“The IEBC recruitment process is being handled by the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) in Parliament. If any Kenyan has a memorandum, let them submit it to the committee.

“The president is not appointing commissioners; he is simply part of a constitutional process. It is Parliament that has the ultimate authority to approve or reject the nominees.

“Let us not fall into the habit of opposing everything simply because it wasn’t our idea. That is not how we build a country. Leadership demands objectivity and responsibility,” Wetang’ula said in a post on Facebook on Sunday, May 11, 2025.

Development

He went ahead to defend Ruto amid criticism that he has underperformed since he took over the country’s mandate.

“Our president found the country in a difficult economic state, with stalled roads, an overstretched health system, and a disrupted education sector,” he said.

“Today, strides have been made; CBC, with the teething issues and bottlenecks facing it, has been streamlined, and the future of our education system is now more secure.

“In the health sector, we have witnessed reforms aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage. Previously, NHIF channeled more resources to private hospitals than public ones, despite public facilities serving nearly 80% of Kenyans.

“The President’s intervention saw the rollout of the Social Health Authority (SHA)—a bold step toward health equity. While every new policy attracts resistance, SHA is already transforming lives. I urge all Kenyans to register and test it for themselves. We already have testimonies of citizens who have benefitted,” he concluded.