By NATION AFRICA

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Former Kenyan election commissioner Roselyn Akombe has taken a swipe at the international community, saying they have blindly backed a “deeply flawed” electoral system.

In an interview with American NPR radio on Wednesday, Dr Akombe said that foreign countries failed in their mandate to help Kenya prepare for a credible repeat poll.

“It’s a complex situation,” Dr Akombe said, “and where you have the international community fully supporting the entire process without questioning any part of it.”

She added that the international community in other countries is often the first to raise such concerns.

This was second interview the ex-commissioner was granting foreign media after declaring her resignation on BBC on Wednesday.

She said she quit the commission because she did want to be part of a flawed election that would “make a mockery” of electoral integrity.

She blamed the international community for failing to assess and tell the world about the environment on which Kenyan’s election will be held.

On Wednesday, the electoral commission chairman Wafula Chebukati said he could not guarantee the credibility of October 26 repeat presidential election given the current political environment and division within the poll agency.

Tears

During the NPR interview, Dr Akombe broke down when trying to shed off the ‘opposition-mole’ tag levelled against her at the electoral commission, IEBC.

“I cannot be a crazy person who has woken up and is raising these issues," she said as she fought back tears. "I’m speaking out because I care for that country, I passionately care about my country. I do not want to see my country going down again.”

“I am speaking out because I’m hoping that there are some sober heads who will take this up and redeem that country, before it goes down the drain…sorry you got me a bit emotional, I wouldn’t be able to continue with this interview,” she told the radio host.

-Reported by Wycliffe Muia