Kenya abolishes punitive citizenry policies targeting Somalis

GARISSA - The Somali community living in northeastern Kenya will no longer undergo thorough vetting during the acquisition of identification cards, President William Ruto announced, ending a 60-year-old policy that had targeted the region.

While issuing the decree in Wajir, Ruto said the policy violated the constitution, adding that citizens from countries bordering foreign countries would no longer be subjected to the rigorous process.

“I want to assure the people that the discrimination witnessed in this region for the last 60 years will come to an end. When a child from Mandera, Wajir, or Garissa applies for an ID and is subjected to unnecessary scrutiny, this must stop forthwith,” Ruto said.

Previously, before acquiring birth certificates and national identity cards, the applicant had to be subjected to thorough scrutiny to ascertain the background. Somalis in Kenya share culture, language, and religion with those from Somalia and Ethiopia.

“We want the people of Northern Kenya to feel equal to the rest of the country,” Ruto added.

Further, Ruto said his administration shall re-open the immigration office in Garissa which had been closed down, as part of his strategy to decentralize government services. Residents have to travel to Nairobi to acquire the document.

“We will reopen the passport office because its closure amounts to discrimination. Every citizen must have equal access to government services, and we are committed to ensuring inclusivity,” he said.

The vetting process was initially introduced as a security measure following the Shifta insurgency of the 1960s. The Shifta War was a secessionist conflict in which ethnic Somalis, Muslim Borana, and other groups sought to join Somalia.

Northeastern region could play a significant role in Kenya's 2027 polls with the total number of registered voters expected to increase to around 2 million. A court in Kenya recently ordered a recount of locals, citing glaring mistakes by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics during the 2019 population census exercise.

GAROWE ONLINE