Restoring Trust: AFRINIC’s Road to a Transparent and Fair Election Process

To restore effective governance and rebuild trust within the community, the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) launched the first in a series of webinars aimed at informing and engaging its members about the new and ongoing election process.

AFRINIC has faced considerable governance challenges over the past few years. Since June 2022, the organisation has operated without a Board of Directors, and by November 2022, it was also without a CEO. This vacuum in leadership led to the appointment of a Receiver to attain certain specific objectives, including the reconstitution of AFRINIC’s board of directors. In response to these events, a transparent and community-driven election process has become imperative, especially in the context of a previous Board election that was plagued with serious irregularities.

The newly appointed Election Committee (“Committee”) is chaired by Musa Stephen Honlue, supported by Mukom Tamon, Madhvi Gokool, and Kishna Dhondee. This diverse and independent team is tasked with organising and supervising the election in a transparent and accountable manner. This team is supported by other support staff, headed by Guylaine Laiyra, to execute the Election Process. The Committee has also encouraged suggestions and feedback from the Internet community.

The webinar held on 23 July 2025 covered five critical areas:

1. New Voting Mechanism – A fully online voting system eliminates the need for proxies and Power of Attorney (POA), which were found to be problematic in the past.

2. Building Trust – Emphasising independence, transparency, and continuous communication to gain the trust of members.

3. Engagement Strategy – Proactive outreach through emails, webinars, videos, and educational resources to ensure all members are informed.

4. Member Participation – Inviting all eligible members to engage actively—whether as voters or candidates.

5. Bylaw Constraints – Recognising the challenges posed by the provisions of its bylaws, the Committee is adapting processes while maintaining the spirit of the law and ethical compliance.

Bearing in mind the regretful outcome of the last election process, the Committee is using these lessons to design a more secure, auditable, and fair process.

Each eligible organisation is required to designate one voter using a six-step verification process:

1. Email Outreach - Emails will be sent to all organisation contacts (admin, billing and tech).
2. Submit a Signed Designation Form that must be approved and signed by an executive officer of the member organisation.
3. Confirmation will be sent back to all contacts for transparency.
4. Verification: this step includes ID checks and authenticity validation.
5. Publication of Voter Register – A Voter Register will be published online.
6. Voting Period – A one-week election window, opened and closed with real-time online live-streaming.

Only resource members in good standing (those which became a member until September 18, 2023) can vote. Associate and registered members are not eligible to vote in this election. With over 400 members not currently in good standing, the Committee urges these members to regularise their status promptly.

The election platform is designed for full traceability. Every action is cryptographically logged. The Committee is committed to publishing:

• The list of voters
• Election timelines
• Candidate information
• Step-by-step updates

All data will be accessible via the election portal:https//: elections.afrinic.net.

Members have reported being approached to sign POAs. The Committee stressed that no external organisation is authorised to collect voting credentials or act on behalf of AFRINIC. Members should not share credentials and should report suspicious activities directly to the Committee via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

AFRINIC is at a pivotal moment. Members are not just participants—they are custodians of the organisation’s future. Whether by voting or standing as a candidate, your involvement is essential to shaping a transparent, inclusive, and accountable governance structure.

At the end of the webinar held on 23 July 2025, through a lively Q&A session, panellists provided more clarity on the election process with insightful answers to the relevant questions.