Leaders clash over Ruto’s ID policy » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 10 – President William Ruto’s new Proclamation on Registration and Issuance of IDs to Border Counties during his recent tour of the northeastern region has sparked fresh debate with critics warning of security implications.
While some have hailed the decision ending vetting required for issuance of identification documents to residents of Northern Kenya as a step toward equality, others have raised concerns over its potential national security implications.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale welcomed the move, calling it a necessary step to uphold constitutional rights.
He condemned the long-standing vetting process as discriminatory and unconstitutional.
“Every Kenyan has a constitutional right to registration and identification documents, as enshrined in Article 12 of the Constitution. This entitlement is not a privilege but a fundamental right that applies to all citizens, including the patriotic people of Northern Kenya,” Duale stated.
He further cited Section 22 of the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, which guarantees every citizen access to identification documents, emphasizing that the law does not permit selective issuance or ethnic profiling.
“The government is duty-bound to uphold the rule of law and dismantle any institutionalized discrimination that hinders Kenyans from enjoying their full rights. This is not a matter of negotiation—it is a matter of justice, legality, and national unity,” he asserted.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir echoed Duale’s sentiments, emphasizing the need for equal treatment of all Kenyans.
“No one has the monopoly of being a better Kenyan than the other. Whether they like it or not, just as they identify themselves as Kenyans, they must equally acknowledge all of us as Kenyans,” he stated during the Gabra Cultural Night in Mbaraki, Mombasa, on Sunday.
Inequity
Nassir stressed that Kenya’s diversity is its strength and called for the abolition of policies that perpetuate inequality.
Former Finance Minister Ukur Yattani, Likoni MP Mishi Mboko, and several Members of County Assembly (MCAs) joined Nassir in expressing support for the directive.
Mandera Senator Ali Roba hailed the move as a victory for justice and equality, describing the vetting process as an unjust barrier that had treated Northeastern residents as “second-class citizens.”
“For too long, young people in Northern Kenya have faced humiliating delays and interrogations just to obtain a document that others receive with ease. This systemic injustice has stifled economic progress and reinforced exclusion,” Roba said.
He criticized opposition to the decision, particularly from some Mount Kenya leaders, arguing that fairness should be embraced rather than resisted.
“Those complaining must ask themselves: why does fairness for others trouble them? True believers in national unity should celebrate this as a step toward inclusivity, not resist it out of prejudice,” he added.
Roba stated that Ruto “made the right call” in ensuring that all Kenyans are treated equally.
Mandera Deputy Governor Ali Maalim was even more direct, condemning what he described as “tribal supremacy” in the continued vetting of Somali Kenyans.
“Every Kenyan has a right to citizenship in their country—no tribe can gatekeep it. Vetting and profiling of Somali Kenyans has nothing to do with security or process; it’s naked tribal supremacy,” Maalim asserted.
Opposition
Leaders fom the region supported he presidential directive amid concerns the move could expose the country to security risks including illegal registration of alliens.
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, a former national administration official, strongly opposed the move, arguing that it could pose serious security risks.
“That was a wrong policy decision, and it is going to injure us. In the next five years, we are going to experience its implications, and they will be very bad,” Natembeya warned.
“There will come a time when the presidential escort will be drawn from Al-Shabaab,” he stated in caution.
His remarks sparked controversy, with some leaders accusing him of fueling ethnic stereotyping.
Wajir Deputy Governor Ahmed Muhumed dismissed Natembeya’s comments as “scare-mongering” and accused him of using security threats as an excuse for discrimination.
“Those days are well behind us,” Muhumed maintained.
Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka also criticized the decision, alleging that scrapping the vetting process was a political strategy by President Ruto to secure votes ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
“They think that by registering people here and there, it will save them. If their plan is to increase votes for 2027, they will fail,” Musyoka said on Sunday during the official opening of the Wiper Democratic Movement office in Malindi, Kilifi County.