How IEBC Commissioner Roselyn Akombe Fled Kenya for the United States

IEBC commissioner Dr Roslyne Akombe, who resigned from the commission last night, is said to have used an opportunity to travel to Dubai on an official trip to flee Kenya for the United States.

Akombe along with another commissioner had been scheduled to be in Dubai leading a delegation that is monitoring the printing on ballot papers by Dubai-based Al Ghurair.

She flew out of Kenyan on Monday for Dubai on a 10pm flight but never checked out of Dubai International Airport, according to The Standard. She left Dubai for New York on Tuesday morning. She sent her resignation letter on arrival in New York.

Source told The Standard that Akombe, who holds Kenya and US dual citizenship, did this to avoid getting clearance from the government, which requires that top government officials get cleared before traveling abroad.

On August 16th, there were claims that she was pulled out of a plane at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and temporarily detained while trying to flee the country.  Reports at the time said she was later allowed to board the flight and she would later deny the claims. “The statements attributed to me on social media following my delayed flight in Nairobi are false and unwarranted. I’m deeply concerned by the statements attributed to me on my departure from Nairobi. They are false and unwarranted. While it is unfortunate that my departure was delayed, I at no time indicated that I was fleeing my beloved country due to questions raised on the credibility of our elections,” she added at the time.

In her resignation letter on Tuesday night, Akombe said she resigned because some commissioners have been serving partisan interests. She also said the commission is not in a position to deliver a credible election on October 26th, and that she did not want to be “party to such a mockery to electoral integrity.”