The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chief Executive Officer, Marjan Hussein Marjan, has stepped down.
Marjan’s exit was announced on Tuesday evening by IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon, who said it followed a mutual agreement to terminate his services.
“This brings to an end his tenure at the IEBC and marks the start of the process to recruit a new CEO and Secretary to the Commission. The IEBC will announce an interim replacement who will serve as Acting CEO/Secretary in due course,” Ethekon said in a statement.
“We thank Mr. Marjan for his dedication and professional service to the IEBC and wish him well in his future endeavors,” Ethekon added.
The exit brings to an end more than a decade of Marjan’s service at the commission. e joined the IEBC in March 2015 after being appointed as Deputy CEO in Charge of Support Services to replace Wilson Sholei.
In October 2018, he was appointed as IEBC acting Chief Executive Officer following the exit of Ezra Chiloba. He was later elevated to CEO on 8 March 2022 in a much-contested exercise.
According to the then IEBC Chairman, the late Wafula Chebukati, Marjan beat 510 applicants to clinch the position of the commission’s CEO.
Prior to his IEBC roles, Marjan worked at Telkom Kenya for over 20 years as the Head of Internal Audit, Investigation, and Quality.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree in accounting and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Nairobi.
Other certificates he holds include Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA-K), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certification in Control Self-Assessment (CCSA), and Certified Quality Assessor (CQA).
His departure from IEBC follows mounting pressure from opposition parties demanding his exit over lack of trust in his leadership.
Among the concerns raised is the use of Smartmatic for election system. Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka accused Marjan of hastily renewing the contract of Smartmatic, the company that supplied electoral kits for the 2022 elections.
Kalonzo warned that the upcoming election might not be free and fair if Marjan remained in office.
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