Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioner Roselyn Akombe has made a dramatic return to Kenya after nearly eight years in self-imposed exile.
Akombe fled the country in October 2017, just a week before the repeat presidential election following the annulment of the August 2017 vote—a move that shocked the nation and raised serious questions about the credibility of Kenya’s electoral process.
In a social media post, she shared pictures of herself back home, writing: “No place beats home.”
At the time of her departure, Akombe cited security concerns, a compromised electoral environment, and internal dysfunction at the IEBC as her main reasons for leaving. She revealed that the commission was deeply divided, with some commissioners allegedly under political influence and intimidation. Akombe also claimed that her life had been threatened and that she could no longer guarantee her safety or participate in an election she no longer believed would be free or fair.
From her base in New York, where she resumed work with the United Nations, Akombe warned that Kenya was on the brink of political crisis. She described the IEBC as operating under a “veil of secrecy”, with critical decisions made without consensus. Over the years, she has remained a vocal advocate for electoral justice, governance reforms, and whistleblower protection.
The context of her exile stems from the 2017 presidential election, which the Supreme Court annulled on September 1, 2017, citing irregularities in the transmission of results and missing or altered legally required documents (Form 34A). Although the court did not find evidence of voter fraud or wrongdoing by the winning candidate, President Uhuru Kenyatta, it ruled the process was flawed enough to call the outcome into question and ordered a fresh election within 60 days, held on October 26, 2017.
Akombe’s return marks a historic moment, as she steps back into the Kenyan political landscape after years advocating for democratic integrity and reform from abroad.
