OPINION: Was Roselyn Akombe sincere in her resignation?

Dr Roselyn Akombe, a commissioner at the IEBC, resigned from the Commission while on an official trip to Dubai to oversee the printing presidential ballot papers for the repeat Presidential elections. In her resignation letter, Dr Akombe cited a number of issues among them her personal security, unpreparedness of the IEBC and the political impasse in the country which she says jeopardizes IEBC’s ability to hold free, fair and credible elections. While many may take this decision as a surprise, it is in fact, not news. Dr Akombe herself revealed in her statement that she has grappled with the decision to quit the commission for ‘many months’. But was this decision purely informed by the so-called frustrations of doing her work or are other issues at play here?

Granted that she may have moved her family to the US for safety reasons but while this should have made her concentrate on her work without fear of reprisals on her family, it appears to have increased her resolve to leave the country; she had nothing left to lose since even her family is not in Kenya. And who knows, maybe her newfound exile status might evoke sympathy from US authorities to also grant citizenship to her family members if they so wish?

Working for the IEBC is not a job for the fainthearted. And while one may laud Dr Akombe for having even dared to apply for the job, this was not the time to bolt when her political mediation skills were most needed. She should have rallied her colleague together to ensure the effective delivery of the slated repeat presidential elections. If indeed there have been stand-offs at the commission as per her resignation statement, then that is when her negotiating skills should have been put to the test. Her country would have been grateful to have a voice of conciliation and reason. Otherwise, she validates her critics and naysayers by running away. For when does one need firefighting skills, is it at the heart of the flames or when it has all died out?

Fortunately for her, she has somewhere to go, thanks in part to her dual citizenship and her previous job. Majority of Kenyans do not. Which begs the question, should individuals acting as state officials in sensitive public institutions be holders of dual citizenship? And even though they undergo vetting procedures as part of the application process, are those vetting’s rigorous enough to assure Kenyans of the loyalty and patriotism of such individuals?

Dual citizenship is neither a crime nor a bad thing but it presents the challenge of divided loyalties. Someone who knows they have no safe havens to flee to in the event of chaos may not look at issues the same way as one who has these options. And just like Dr Akombe, it is known that there are other commissioners at IEBC who also have dual citizenship. The question is whether they will also bolt just like Dr Akombe or they will stick it out for the sake of the country?

The other curious thing is the timing of Dr Akombe’s resignation. It coincided with the calling off of street protests by NASA leadership. One wonders if this is a pure coincidence or its one of the strategies by the opposition to have mass resignation of IEBC commissioners as a way ensuring the repeat elections are not held as scheduled.

The action by commissioner Akombe should serve as a wake-up call to all Kenyans that its only Kenyans who will define their destiny and not foreigners.