Officials blocking us from getting IDs, Somalis and Turkanas in Samburu claim

Saturday October 8, 2016

A file photo of people lined up collect their national identification cards.

The department of the registration of persons has been accused of discriminating against members of the Turkana and Somali communities living in Maralal.

Samburu West residents said officers have made it difficult for the two communities to acquire IDs because they are not sure they are from the area.

They said they were told they must undergo a vetting process to ascertain their nationality.

"Sometimes our children have to wait more than six months to be issued with the crucial document," said Mikai Ali who has lived in Maralal town for more than 50 years.

Ali said she suspected her children, who completed high school last year, have not been able to get IDs because they are from the Somali community.

The woman said the government's promise of a smooth process has not been realised.

"If there is any problem.. If they thought we might have been among those supporting al Shabaab... This would have been known a long time ago," she said in a residents meeting at the Maralal town chief's office on Friday.

"I was born and brought up in Maralal. I am not in Somalia... I wonder why we are being sidelined yet I am in Samburu."
Another resident, David Lesuarapus, said he had lived in the area for more than 37 years.

He said the areas youths need to be shown that they have been accepted as Kenyans.

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"We do not want to be divided along tribal lines because we want to live in peace. Those who are being humiliated came here years before our parents settled here," he said.

Chief Selina Lemakara noted everyone who applies for IDs in the area has to undergo vetting as al Shabaab attacks have been on the rise.

Lemakara further noted that the area borders Garissa county where several attacks have been carried out, and that some of the people have turned out to be Kalamanjongs from Uganda.

She added that some of the youths do not have documents such as school leaving certificates and parents' IDs, and are not well known in the area.

"All we need is to confirm their habits and way of life for the government needs to trust them. But vetting needs to be done quickly," said the chief.

" Some of those seeking replacement IDs had not memorised their numbers. Some numbers cannot be found because they did not register."
Samburu county registrar of persons Felix Bosire said more than 400 of the documents had not been collected.

"Samburu receives 400 identification cards every week from Nairobi, we will give them to chiefs for distribution," he said.

Bosire said people from other counties will be vetted thoroughly before they are issued with IDs.

"Due to the increased insecurity, we cannot allow people whose identities are not clear to be registered," he said.

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