Roselyn Akombe
NAIROBI-The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC ) commissioner Roselyn Akombe has resigned, flees to New York eight days to the Presidential re-elections in Kenya.
In her press statement issued on October 17th, 2017, Akombe says that Kenya is in a political crisis, lives are at stake and the Commission has become a party to the current crisis, IEBC staff unsafe and insecure.
“My decision to leave the IEBC will disappoint some of you, but it is not for lack of trying I have tried the best I could do given the circumstances,” says Akombe.
She adds that Commissioners come to plenary meetings ready to vote along partisan lines rather than discussing the merit of issues before them. Commissioners can nolonger appear on media platforms to defend positions.
She accuses some Commissioners of being extremists who do not care having an election even if it is at the cost of the lives of the staff and voters.
“I shared detailed reports from staff in four of the Counties most hit by the ongoing protests- Nairobi, Siaya, Kisumu, and Homa Bay- with the hope that this will bring sobriety to our decision making, ” Akombe notes.
She writes that the Commission should courageously speak up that this election cannot meet the basic expectations of a CREDIBLE election.
Not when the staff is getting last minute instructions on changes in technology and electronic transmission of results, not when Commissioners are intimidated by political actors and protesters. Not when commissioners are serving partisan political interests.
She advised legislators to reveiw the situation and call off the re-election slated on October, 26th in order to save the nation.
“I have concluded that I am nolonger making any significant contribution to the commission and to my country as a commissioner,” says Akombe.
“I do not want to be party to such a mockery to electoral integrity,” she adds.
