Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has publicly revealed that former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission commissioner Roselyn Akombe is his wife.
The senator made the disclosure on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, while addressing leaders during a condolence visit in Kisii led by Education Cabinet Secretary Migosi Ogamba. His remarks offered a rare glimpse into his personal and family life.
Onyonka also shared that he is a polygamous father of 12 children and announced plans to introduce all of them during a funeral ceremony scheduled for Friday, May 15, 2026, in Kisii, specifically in Mosocho.
According to the senator, Akombe had developed a close relationship with his late mother over the years. He noted that she frequently spent time with her, supported her during periods of illness, and even accompanied her to the United States for medical treatment.
Speaking candidly, Onyonka said many people were unaware of this aspect of his life, adding that his children and their mothers are known to his family and community.
Dr Roselyn Akombe is widely recognized as one of Kenya’s most prominent electoral reform voices and a respected political economist.
Her tenure at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission placed her at the centre of one of the most turbulent periods in the country’s democratic history.
In 2017, Akombe was appointed as a commissioner at the electoral commission at a time when Kenya was preparing for a highly contested General Election.
She reportedly took a 70 percent pay cut to accept the role, a move that highlighted her commitment to public service and democratic accountability.
Her appointment placed her in a critical position during a tense political season that soon tested the country’s institutions and the credibility of its electoral system.
Soon after joining the commission, Akombe became a central figure in one of the most dramatic election periods in Kenya’s history.
During her tenure, the August 2017 presidential election was nullified by the Supreme Court, citing irregularities, a ruling that sent the country into uncharted territory and triggered preparations for a repeat presidential election.
At the same time, the killing of IEBC ICT manager Chris Msando heightened anxiety within the commission and across the country, intensifying fears about the safety of electoral officials and the credibility of the electoral process.
Akombe later stated that the commission had operated under immense strain and spoke openly about political pressure on the institution, internal divisions within the commission, and growing concerns about the credibility of the repeat election.
In October 2017, just days before the repeat presidential election, Akombe made international headlines when she resigned from the commission and left Kenya for the United States, declaring that the planned repeat election could not meet the threshold of a credible poll.
She cited threats to her life and family, deep internal disagreements within the commission, and fear following the killing of Chris Msando.
Her resignation became one of the most defining moments of the 2017 election crisis and sparked national and international debate about electoral integrity in Kenya.
After leaving Kenya, Akombe resumed her international career and returned to work within the United Nations system, where her work continued to focus on governance, peacebuilding and electoral processes.
