The Munyo Yaya community wants state recognition and an ethnic code to enable them to get government jobs with ease.
Members on Wednesday said they had lost several opportunities, especially in the recruitment of disciplined forces whose positions, they say, are, in most cases, shared among ethnic groups in a county.
The Munyo Yaya is a community in Madogo, Tana River county.
Led by their spokesperson and elder Abubakar Garasha, they said it has been difficult for them because they are not recognised, despite living in Kenya for more than a century.
“It has been long tedious journey for us as a community to try and get our code. Efforts to access senior government officials, among them Interior CS Fred Matiang'i, have been unsuccessful.
"Our elected political leaders have been taking us in circles with a promise of taking us to the head of state, but that has equally not materialised. That is why we are using this forum to send our message to the President,” Garasha said.
He said there are other small ethnic groups like the Makonde, Shona and Hindu who have been recognised.
“Our children are learned but are unable to secure jobs without identification cards and tribe code. We have been marginalised for so long, yet we are equally Kenyans," he added.
Ali Loka said Madogo division, which was created at Independence, is barely nonexistent as such divisions are now subcounties.
Madogo was never elevated to a subcounty despite meeting the criteria and several petitions by leaders.
“Most of the people are poor and cannot afford to travel to Bura to seek services that could have been offered in Madogo had it been made a subcounty.
"We appeal to President Uhuru Kenyatta to consider Madogo and elevate it to a subcounty,” Loka said.
Sadam Hassan, a youth leader, said young people are the most affected as they miss out on job opportunities.
They said the elevation of Madogo to a subcounty would increase the number of positions accorded to them as a community during recruitments.
The community members plan to travel to Nairobi in the hope of meeting Matiang'i and Uhuru to present their grievances.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
