Former IEBC Chair Issack Hassan Nominated as Court of Appeal Judge

ISSACK HASSAN

DATE OF BIRTH	March 2 1970
FAMILY	Married and has children
OCCUPATION	Lawyer

Issack Hassan Biography

Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Issack Hassan is among the candidates nominated as a Judge of the Court of Appeal.

He was interviewed one Monday, January 12, 2026.

Hassan is currently the Chairperson of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). He was nominated by President William Ruto on November 12, 2024, and officially appointed on December 5, 2024, following parliamentary approval.

Also shortlisted for the Court of Appeal judge positions are Professor Migai Akech, a law professor at the University of Nairobi; Justice Yuvinalis Maronga Angima, a judge of the Environment and Land Court; Justice Oscar Amugo Angote, the Principal Judge of the Environment and Land Court; and Protas Saende Gathege, proprietor of Saende Law Advocates.

Hassan is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with over 30 years of legal practice and consultancy experience, having worked in Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Namibia, and Afghanistan.

He has been in private legal practice since February 1995, specialising in commercial and constitutional law.

In 2022, he was among 31 candidates shortlisted by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for appointment as Court of Appeal judges, but did not make the final list.

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He is best known as the former and inaugural Chairperson of the IEBC, a position he held from November 2011 to January 20, 2017. Prior to that, he served as Chairperson of the Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) from May 2009 to November 2011, and as a Commissioner of the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission (CKRC) between 2000 and 2006.

His other public service roles include serving as a Director at the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) from December 2007 to April 2009, and as a Legal Consultant with UNDP Somalia under the Somalia Constitution-Making Project between July 2008 and May 2009. He has also worked as an International Elections Consultant for United Nations election support projects in Afghanistan and Somalia.

Hassan has also served as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI), a government agency responsible for intellectual property rights.

Education and Legal Background

Hassan holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from the University of Nairobi, a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Kenya School of Law, and a Diploma in Advanced Public Administration Management from the Galilee International Management Institute (GIMI) in Israel.

Awards and Honors

The IPOA Chairperson has received several notable national and international honours and recognitions for his contributions to law, public service, electoral management, and nation-building. Some of the key awards and honours conferred on him include:

Order of the Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) (Second Class): Awarded in December 2010 by the late President Mwai Kibaki for rendering exemplary services to the nation.
Order of the Chief of the Burning Spear (CBS): Conferred by the President of Kenya for distinguished service to the nation.
- Initial conferment (2017): He was first awarded the CBS (First Class, Civilian Division) in December 2017 for his distinguished service as Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
- 2025 Recognition: He was again recognised with the CBS honour during the 2025 Jamhuri Day Awards by President William Ruto, months after he was appointed Chairperson of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).

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Senior Counsel (SC): Conferred the prestigious rank of Senior Counsel by President William Ruto in December 2025, the highest honour in Kenya’s legal profession.
Outstanding Achievement Award in Election Management: Received from the London-based International Centre for Parliamentary Studies (ICPS) in December 2013 for excellence in election management and conflict resolution.

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