Kenyan election official flees, condemns the preparations for the rerun

A senior Kenyan electoral official has resigned and left the country, as the country’s presidential vote is due to be held in eight days’ time.

Highlights:

  • Roselyn Akombe quit as a commissioner of Kenya’s electoral board by issuing a statement from New York saying the rerun of the presidential election scheduled for October 26 cannot be free and fair.
  • I do not want to be party to such a mockery of electoral integrity,” Akombe said in a statement.
  • The former United Nations official told the BBC she had fled from Kenya to New York after receiving numerous threats but did not identify who was threatening her.
  • Not when the staff are getting last-minute instructions on changes in technology and electronic transmission of results. Not when in parts of the country, the training of presiding officers is being rushed for fear of attacks from protesters,” she said.
  • We need the commission to be courageous and speak out,” said Akombe.
  • In her statement Akombe said: “It broke my heart in the last few days to listen to my staff in the field, a majority of whom truly want to do the right thing, express to me their safety and security concerns.”

Look deeper:

  • The flight of such a high-profile electoral official underlines the growing crisis in Kenya, long seen as a stronghold of relative political stability in a volatile region.

Reference:

  • The incumbent president, Uhuru Kenyatta, won the poll in August.
  • But Raila Odinga – the main opposition – mounted a legal challenge claiming the electoral commission’s computer system had been tampered with to produce false results.
  • The Supreme Court annulled the elections, citing irregularities and ordered a fresh election, which will be held next week.
  • Odinga has withdrawn from the fresh poll, saying the electoral commission has not made sufficient changes, such as new members or new procedures, to guarantee a fair election – Kenyatta, however, said the election will go on.

Back to the matter:

  • Akombe’s resignation will further undermine confidence in the coming polls, which face a number of tough logistic challenges.
  • The electoral commission tweeted a short statement saying it regretted Akombe’s resignation.
  • Local media have reported that training sessions for election officials have been disrupted by crowds of young men.

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