Joy as newest community votes in first poll

The Shona were part of the over 22 million voters who turned up on August 8 to elect the next set of leaders.

While members of the other communities across Kiambu County woke up to send home leaders they feel have under-performed or retain those they feel have done well, for voters from the Shona community, this was a completely new experience.

After 50 years of being Kenyan citizens "without identity", the Shona cast their votes for the first time since Kenya gained independence and were just too happy to do so.

Those The Standard spoke to said they were happy to finally exercise their civic right and take part in choosing the next government just like other Kenyans.

Their approval and grant of citizenship by the president marked the start of their freedom from segregation and misery. There are about 1,000 registered voters from the community.

"We have been waiting and longing to participate in an election in our country. We are happy it is happening today. I am happy to have this opportunity to vote for my favourite candidates, for the first time," said Stephen Muungani, a member of the community.

It has been 29 years since Muungani attained the requisite age to vote but he couldn't until last year when he acquired Kenyan citizenship and received a national ID.

"Previously, we only escorted our neighbours to polling stations to vote. Sometimes, we would just stay home and accept the ones elected. It is a dream come true that today, we are voting in this election. I've had preferred candidates in the previous elections just like I do today only that this time round, I have a chance to vote," said the 47-year-old Muungani.

Lilian Solomon Sibindi votes at Kinoo Primary School in Kikuyu, Kiambu County. [Jacinta Mutura, Standard]

The statelessness meant the Shona could not access basic services such as healthcare in public hospitals.

Fillipa Dube, 41, who The Standard caught up with as she readied to vote, said: "I dropped out of school and got married. My children faced many challenges. I couldn't acquire birth certificates for them because we did belong to Kenya or any other country. But we are Kenyans now and voting has just affirmed we are Kenyans."

Before gaining citizenship, the majority of Shona people relied on other Kenyans to register their children in school, register mobile phone numbers, or open bank accounts.

"Life had been tricky but we had no option. Ours was about survival. Women gave birth at home because we could not get admission to hospitals. We could not start businesses or approach leaders for financial help because we'd no documents to identify us," said Dube.

The community is deeply ingrained in Kenyan culture and intermarried with the locals. A good number of them engage in carpentry and weaving to make a living.

Recognition of the Shona followed a pledge by Kenya during UNHCR's High-Level Segment on Statelessness in October 2019. During the meeting, Kenya also pledged to accede to the UN conventions on statelessness.

Then, UNHCR promised to continue supporting Kenya's efforts to prevent and resolve statelessness within the framework of the global #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness that aims to end statelessness by 2024.

Kenya is home to an estimated 18,500 stateless persons, most of whom are members of ethnic minority groups. In addition to the Shona is a group referred to as the Pemba.