(PHOTOS) Stateless Asians awarded Kenyan citizenship certificates

Members of the Stateless Asians of Kenya Community were awarded Kenyan citizenship certificates on Thursday.

Fify-two Asians went home with their certificates as the government vowed to end statelessness.

In attendance during the award ceremony were Director of Immigration Alexander Muteshi, Head of stateless task force and Director Foreign national management directorate of immigration Eunice Lamba among others.

Muteshi said that being stateless is a major human rights issue, "because once you are stateless, it's very difficult for you to be able to engage in any economic activity and its difficult for your family to access basic services."

In July, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i announced the process to grant Kenyan citizenship to eligible but stateless persons in the country will be concluded before this year’s Jamhuri Day celebration.

The last of stateless people in the country who qualify for Kenyan citizenship will have their status regularized by December this year.

Speaking during the issuance of citizenship certificates to 1,649 members of the Shona community, the CS however said the process will be undertaken without compromising national security.

The CS further revealed that the Directorate of Immigration Services, the National Registration Bureau (NRB) and the Department of Civil Registration, will confer citizenship on the Sagaf community of Tana River.

The community will be the last batch of stateless persons in the country targeted for the exercise.