Garissa leaders optimistic after state vows to expedite ID issuance

A section of leaders from Garissa have expressed optimism that the government will expedite issuance of IDs to residents ahead of 2022 polls.

Through their Facebook posts after a meeting with Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, the leaders said that they were looking forward to cooperating with the government to ensure the exercise is a success.

The leaders included Sofia Abdi (Ijara), Mohamed Dahiye (Dadaab), Mohamed Hire (Lagdera) Abdikarim Osman (Fafi) and Mohamud Omaar (Wajir South). 

Dahiye, whose constituency  has a number of Kenyans whose finger prints are still captured in the UNHCR database, regretted the snail pace at which the whole process was moving.

In 2019, the government launched a 30-day vetting exercise which brought renewed hope to the 40,000 double registered persons.

The function was graced by Interior CAS Patrick ole Ntutu and director of operations at National Registration Bureau Roben Kimotho, Commissioner for Refugee Affairs Kodeck Makori and other senior UNHCR officials.

What followed was a two-month stringent exercise which involved elders, chiefs, military and intelligence.

In October last year, Interior CAS Hussein Dado, while on a tour of Garissa, said the victims had been successfully vetted and would undergo other stringent processes before they were issued with the ID cards.

Dahiye, while describing the meeting with the Matiang'i as ‘fruitful’, said that the issuance of ID to the victims was long overdue.

On his part, Garissa Senator Abdulkadir Haji said that it was the right of each and every Kenyan citizen to have an ID Card, saying that they were optimistic the exercise will be successfully concluded.

“This is one issue that has dragged on far too long. As leaders, we cant wait to see it concluded," he said. 

"It is good that the CS acknowledged that it is not a favour to issue people with IDs, but a right for every eligible Kenyan.”

On his part, Osman regretted how the exercise, which started two years ago, had stalled but was quick to add that the meeting with the CS "will help get things back on track".

During the meeting, Matiang'i agreed to visit Garissa early January next year so as to launch the issuance of the IDs.1

So serious is the issue that after the one month voter registration exercise, local leaders lamented that hundreds had been left out for lack of ID cards.

(edited by Amol Awuor)