OPINION: Akombe’s resignation is an irresponsible act

One week after Raila Odinga withdrew from participating in Thursday’s repeat presidential election, Roselyn Akombe resigned as an IEBC commissioner. Her resignation has elicited varied reactions from ordinary Kenyans, the media, political actor and pundits, fellow commissioners and the international community.

The resignation was an irresponsible move whereas acting responsibly is a virtue of leadership. Akombe's abrupt resignation was irresponsible for a number of reasons.

Although her departure will not stop the electoral commission from executing its mandate, she should have quit long ago – if at all she thought that her continued stay was untenable.

That way, there would have been enough time to replace her – considering that hiring a new commissioner must follow a legal process that could take a long time.

As such, resigning at the eleventh hour - with the repeat election a week away - was not the best move. Akombe’s resignation could be likened to a professor who abandons teaching his or her students three-quarters into a semester, when students are about to sit their end-of-semester examinations.

It could also be likened to a driver who runs away from the steering wheel while the bus is descending a hill. Both of these are examples of irresponsible decisions made at critical moments.

In a nutshell, Akombe’s decision to resign portrays her as a weak leader who cannot withstand the political heat associated with her job as an electoral commissioner.