By Erick Kyalo and Grace Nyawira
Thursday February 13, 2025
A section of Garissa MCAs have told off critics opposing the abolishment of the Identity Card vetting process for citizens in the north eastern region arguing that the time has come for all Kenyans to be treated equally regardless of their ethnicity.
Last week, while on the North eastern region tour, President William Ruto signed a proclamation scrapping vetting requirements for Kenyans living on the border counties which was introduced in 1990 on national security concerns.
Leaders opposed to this move argue that by doing away with the vetting process, enemies could find an opening to acquire the National IDs, infiltrate our security systems and pose a threat to our national security which could lead to a crisis.
But in a rejoinder, Garissa MCAs led by Baraki Ward MCA Hassan Geley termed the utterances made by Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembea, where he said that the abolishment of the vetting will be a gateway for the al Shabaab to acquire Kenyan ID cards, misleading and politically motivated.
Speaking to the press outside their offices, the MCAs said that the people of the north eastern region have been marginalised for long and denied their rights in issuance of the National Identify cards and that nobody can purport to police them now that the President has made the process easier for them.
“We are not children of a lesser God, we are Muslims, and Kenyans who belong in this country. Our people need to get the ID cards the same way other citizens in other regions acquire them. We are law abiding citizens and not al Shabaab,” Geley said.
“This has been a topic of discussion and we want to tell the critics that they will not lecture our people on how to get the ID cards. Getting an ID card is anchored in our constitution in the ways; by birth, by neutralisation and by registration and we are Kenyans by birth,” he added.
Abasigale MCA Mohammed Sheikh on his part regretted that it has been taking Kenyans in the north eastern region at least six months to get their ID cards due to the rigorous process which they are taken through, making them miss out on opportunities that require IDs.
“We want to inform other Kenyans that Kenya is one and there should not be people trying to suppress others just because they come from a certain part of this country. The president wants to unite this country and we should all agree when he is trying to solve a problem that we have been facing,” Sheikh said.
While the vetting process has been scrapped, residents in the affected areas will have to prove citizenship, present a birth certificate and a parent or guardian’s copy of ID and an introduction letter from their chief to apply for their ID cards.
Further, according to the new policy, their parents or guardians will provide their thumbprint and the application forms will still be scrutinised by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the National Intelligence service (NIS) before their application is processed and ID issued.
Previously, the vetting committee consisted of the Deputy county commissioner or the Assistant county commissioner, civil registration officers, registration officers, three elders nominated by the community and chiefs or their assistants.