Pain of Kenyans living on the border in getting identity cards

Yassin Mukonge, a Kenyan citizen born in Uganda, during an Interview with The Standard at his workplace in Busia town. [Mumo Munuve, Standard]

The camaraderie one encounters at Busia market masks a deeper sense of frustration.

For many small-scale traders, acquiring a Kenyan national identity card is an endless nightmare. The inability to secure this vital national document has deprived them of government services.

A sizeable number of people living along the Kenya-Uganda border, especially in Busia and Malaba border towns, are of mixed parentage. Others were born in Uganda by Kenyan parents who acquired land or secured jobs and opted to live in Uganda. The offspring of such parents find it hard to acquire Kenyan IDs on their return home.

Riziki Bakari, 54, is a Uganda-born woman married to a Kenyan man and has lived in Kenya since 1987. The longevity of her stay in Kenya, and being married to a Kenyan man have not helped her acquire a Kenyan ID despite numerous attempts to secure one.

“My inability to get a Kenyan ID has also hindered my children from getting IDs even though they were all born in Kenya. None of them has a birth certificate because acquiring one is pegged on both parents being Kenyan citizens or having Kenyan IDs,” she says.

Unable to enrol her children in Kenyan schools, Bakari registered them in Uganda. They are now adults but cannot enjoy their being Kenyan. Daily, a number of children cross the border to attend schools on either side of the border.

“Without an ID, simple things like buying a sim card, opening an M-Pesa account, or securing employment is hard. You cannot open a bank account and neither can you join any women’s group and be eligible for a loan without an ID,” Bakari says.

As a businesswoman, she constantly meets buyers who prefer electronic cash transfers. To beat the restrictions that the lack of an ID has placed on her, Bakari convinced her friend to open an M-Pesa account on her behalf.

“This calls for high levels of trust because if you mess up, the person whose ID you used could get into trouble,” she says.

Yasin Mukonge, 29, says he was born in Busoga, Uganda, and stayed there with his Kenyan father before the latter died. Years later when Mukonge, now an adult, came back to Kenya and attempted to get an ID, he ran into hurdles that he is yet to surmount.

“I have been trying to get an ID for the last nine years without success,” he complains. “Lack of an ID has made life difficult for some of us. I am married with children but little things like getting treatment in public hospitals become hard without an ID. To even access maternity services, an ID is a prerequisite.”

Peter Wanyama, 46, goes through the same frustrations. He says his grandparents moved to Uganda where his father, who later married a Ugandan woman, was born.

“I have run into so many hurdles trying to get an ID card that I have nearly given up. He says his sister, who was born in Kenya, was lucky to get a Kenyan ID.

Asha Bakari, 42, also expressed her frustrations in trying to get a Kenyan ID. Her Kenyan father bought land in Uganda and moved there with his family. After she grew up, she decided to come back home but could not secure an ID. She says her sister was lucky to get hers, but that is because she was able to raise the Sh7,000 that brokers demanded to help her acquire the document.

ID card seekers who The Standard team spoke to in Busia and Malaba towns pleaded with the government to come to their aid.

The Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act (2011) states, in part, that “A person born of a Kenyan parent irrespective of the place of birth automatically becomes a citizen of Kenya by birth”. However, this right to an ID is pegged on the ability of the applicant to prove parentage by producing either the national identification card or passport of the parent in question.

While presiding over the opening of Teso Central sub-county in Busia, Interior Cabinet Kithure Kindiki ordered chiefs and their assistants to ensure Ugandan women married to Kenyan men get ID cards.

“There is no need to disturb such people. Their husbands are known. Let them get identification cards without being subjected to tough conditions,” said Kindiki.

Western Regional Commissioner Irungu Macharia urged those who have been affected to go back to their chiefs and assistant chiefs for fresh applications.

“We are telling those who have in one way or another faced difficulties to go back to their chiefs and register afresh.”

In Turkana County, nearly half of the area’s population lacks Identity Cards. According to Kenya Population and Housing Census (KPHC) 2019, the county’s population stood at 926,976.

The nomadic lifestyle of the local community has been been blamed for the lack of IDs among residents.

But the residents blame the government saying they are considered ‘foreigners’ despite being born in Kenya.

A resident, Lokipetot Ewoi, 60, accused the State of robbing them of their citizenship by making it hard to get IDs.

“It is unfortunate that since I was born in Kenya, I have never been issued with an ID card. I have knocked doors of all relevant offices to obtain the document but in vain. My children have suffered a similar fate,” said Ewoi.

The father of 10 said the situation locked his children out of school due to lack of birth certificates.

Another resident, Alaar Lorukeny, 45, claimed she missed out on Inua Jamii and Hunger Safety Net (HSNP) programmes because she did not have an ID.

Lokiriama Senior Chief Sammy Tioko said about 100 uncollected IDs were lying in his office.

“It is expensive for residents in remote areas to travel to Lodwar to collect the document, ” he said.

He appealed to the government to devolve the registries to sub-county level for ease of access by residents.

The administrator said most locals are also not aware of the importance of IDs and birth certificates.

“Due to the high level of illiteracy, locals do not see the value of obtaining IDs or birth certificates. We have held public sensitisation programmes on the significance of having the documents,” he said.

Mogila Location Senior Chief Julius Ilete said they had distributed about 900 uncollected IDs with the help of Non-Governmental Organizations.

Turkana County Commissioner Julius Kavita confirmed that hundreds of uncollected IDs are still at Lodwar Huduma center and chiefs’ offices.

He directed chiefs and nyumba kumi committees to ensure locals who applied for IDs were issued with the government document.

“We have instructed local administrators to ensure residents who applied for IDs are issued with the documents. This document is issued free of charge,” Kavita said.

Additional reporting By Lucas Ngasike

The county commissioner said a committee has been put in place to vet those who meet the requirements for registration.

Additional reporting by Lucas Ngasike