Former IEBC CEO James Oswago has questioned the frequent turnover of chief executive officers at the electoral agency, linking the changes to possible tensions between commissioners and the secretariat.
Oswago said the CEO's office is a powerful administrative position when its mandate is properly exercised, but conflicts can arise when commissioners interfere with decisions that are meant to be handled by the secretariat.
“A CEO has to deal with externalities, but the worst one, a CEO has to deal with commissioners,” he said.
He said some commissioners arrive at the electoral agency with limited experience in managing elections but soon assume they have the expertise to direct the CEO, creating difficulties in the running of the secretariat.
Oswago also questioned the circumstances under which successive CEOs have been appointed and later left office, saying the pattern of changes raises questions about the working relationship between commissioners and secretariat heads.
“That rapid turnover of CEOs also tells you either commissioners deliberately employ incompetent CEOs, unsuitable CEOs or commissioners employ CEOs who take their work seriously, and commissioners cannot live with it,” he said.
According to Oswago, the CEO has the authority to make a number of administrative decisions, including matters involving staff promotions and deployment. He said such decisions should, however, follow the required procedures and involve consultation with commissioners where necessary.
He warned that a CEO who gives in to every demand from commissioners risks being unable to perform the duties attached to the office.
“If you listen too much to that, you are immobilized,” he said.
“So from time to time, you make decisions and stick with those decisions. And if you do that frequently, you run into a lot of problems.”
Oswago said the law establishing the IEBC separates the roles of the commission and its secretariat, with the CEO serving as the head of the secretariat while commissioners handle policy, strategy and oversight.
He said friction can arise when a CEO seeks to exercise the administrative powers assigned to the office while commissioners attempt to influence those decisions.
Reflecting on his time at the electoral agency, Oswago said he served as the first Commission Secretary and CEO under the IEBC and that the position was intended to be a strong administrative office.
“It’s a very powerful position if you take it seriously,” he said.
He said continued changes in the leadership of the secretariat have affected continuity at the electoral body, with several people taking charge of the office since the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution.
Oswago became acting Commission Secretary and CEO in November 2011 after the new commission was established.
He was later replaced by Ezra Chiloba, who was appointed Commission Secretary and CEO in January 2015. Chiloba left the position in 2018 after being suspended and later dismissed.
Marjan Hussein Marjan subsequently served as acting CEO from 2017 before being confirmed as substantive CEO in March 2022.
Marjan left the position in February 2026 following a mutual agreement to terminate his services.
Moses Ledama Sunkuli then served as acting CEO for six months before Ruth Kulundu took over in August 2026.
The changes have placed renewed focus on the relationship between the IEBC commissioners and the secretariat, particularly on how the two sides exercise their respective responsibilities.