Commisioner Roseline Akombe quits job

PHOTO/COURTESY

Commissioner Roselyn Akombe has resigned from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Dr Akombe announced her resignation on Wednesday in a statement sent from New York, where she was based as she worked for the UN before she took the IEBC job.

In the statement, Dr Akombe said the October 26 repeat election as planned cannot meet the basic expectations of credibility and fairness.

"The commission in its current state can surely not guarantee a credible election on October 26. I do no want to be party to such a mockery to electoral integrity," she said.

In an interview with the BBC on Wednesday morning , Dr Akombe said she went to New York after fearing for her life.

In her statement, Akombe noted displeasure in Tuesday attacks on IEBC training staff  in Kisumu, Siaya and Homa Bay, saying the environment under which the repeat is set be held has been poisoned.

She said it is unacceptable for any party to disrupt, attack IEBC staff, adding that such acts must be condemned and action taken against perpetrators. 

"It broke my heart in the last few days to listen to my staff in the field, majority of whom truly want to do the right thing, express to me their safety and security concerns," she said.

"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.

"Instead this was met with more extremist responses from most commissioners, who are keen to have an election even if it is at the cost of the lives of our staff and voters," she said.