Sunkuli out, Kulundu in as acting IEBC CEO amid race to fill top job
In an internal memo dated August 4, 2026, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said Kulundu’s appointment takes effect on Wednesday, August 5, and will run for two months or until a substantive CEO and Commission Secretary is appointed, whichever comes first.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has appointed Deputy Commission Secretary in charge of Operations Ruth Kulundu as Acting Chief Executive Officer and Commission Secretary, as the electoral agency races to fill the top secretariat position ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Kulundu will take over from Moses Ledama Sunkuli, whose six-month acting tenure expired yesterday, Tuesday, August 4, 2026.
In an internal memo dated August 4, 2026, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said Kulundu’s appointment takes effect on Wednesday, August 5, and will run for two months or until a substantive CEO and Commission Secretary is appointed, whichever comes first.
“The Commission has appointed Ruth Kulundu to the position of Acting Chief Executive Officer/Commission Secretary, effective August 5, 2026,” Ethekon said in the memo circulated to staff.
He asked employees to accord Kulundu full cooperation and support to ensure continuity and smooth running of the Commission’s operations during the transition.
The chairman also thanked Sunkuli for his service during the six months he served as acting CEO and Commission Secretary.
“The Commission wishes to take this opportunity to thank Mr Moses Ledama Sunkuli for his services during the six months he acted as CEO/Commission Secretary which expired today,” Ethekon said.
Sunkuli, who serves as IEBC Director of Electoral Operations, assumed the acting position in February following the departure of former Commission Secretary and CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan.
His appointment was intended to provide continuity as the Commission embarked on the process of recruiting a substantive holder of the office.
Kulundu now takes charge at a particularly sensitive stage in the electoral calendar, with the IEBC intensifying preparations for the 2027 polls.
As Deputy Commission Secretary in charge of Operations, Kulundu has been involved in key electoral functions, including voter registration, election planning and coordination of electoral operations.
She was appointed to the senior management position in 2022 following a restructuring of the Commission’s secretariat and has since remained part of the agency’s executive leadership.
Her elevation provides continuity within the secretariat as the Commission proceeds with the recruitment of a substantive CEO and Commission Secretary.
The IEBC advertised the position last week and invited qualified candidates to apply. The application deadline is August 11.
The successful candidate will serve a four-year renewable term and become the Commission’s accounting officer, with responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the secretariat, implementation of commission decisions, financial management and coordination of preparations for the General Election.
The recruitment is among the key steps in consolidating the leadership of the electoral agency following the appointment of a new commission chaired by Ethekon.
The substantive CEO will inherit a broad electoral workload as the IEBC prepares for the 2027 elections, including continuous voter registration, electoral technology preparations, procurement, election planning and engagement with political parties and other stakeholders.
