Members of the Shona community have been issued with birth certificates after almost 60 years of waiting.
The over 500 birth certificates - their first legal documents - were given on Thursday.
The Shona are originally from Zimbabwe and Zambia. The certificate recipients were born in Kenya and their children will easily access education.
The executive director of the Kenya Human Rights Commission George Kegoro assured the community during the ceremony that they will do whatever it takes to ensure they are also issued with IDs.
“We have been working with this community since 2016. We are in full praise of the government for making this particular project work. Other African countries that are going through the same thing have no courage but our President just proved us wrong. His courage is commendable," Kegoro said.
The Shona first settled in Ngong, Kajiado County, as missionaries. They founded the Gospel of God Church in 1968.
They were allowed to evangelise by President Jomo Kenyatta in 1976 but after his death in 1978, all was not the same.
Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wa said he will table a motion in Parliament to declare the Shonas Kenyans.
“I am very confident that the Senate will accept the motion. The President has directed us to do all we can to ensure that you are all citizens,” he said.
A member of the community, who chose not to be named, was relieved that his two children got the certificates.
“I am so happy that the government was able to listen to our cry. It was so difficult for my children to go to school. They were sent away quite often but I did not give up. Well, I have not applied for mine yet but I will now since I know where to start,” he said.
There are more than 4,000 Shonas in Kenya.
