Ombudsman decries discrimination in issuance of identity documents in border counties

The Commission on Administrative Justice (the office of the Ombudsman) has released an inquiry report detailing the problems Kenyan citizens encounter when obtaining legal identity documents in border counties.

In the report, the Commission noted that despite constitutional guarantees, many citizens, particularly those in border counties like North Eastern and Coastal Kenya, find themselves marginalized and denied the fundamental right to official documentation.

“The right to legal identity stands as a cornerstone of equal access to public services and protection under the law, as enshrined in the Kenyan Constitution,” said Commission chairperson Florence Kajuju

Kajuju indicated that that the grievances echoed through both official channels and public discourse, prompted the initiation of an inquiry by the Commission.

“The inquiry focused specifically on three critical processes: birth registration, the issuance of national identity cards, and passports, with a central concern being the determination of citizenship,” she said

The inquiry, conducted in Wajir conducted, she said, revealed a multitude of issues encountered throughout the acquisition process, ranging from delays in issuance to instances of discrimination and challenges with biometric verification and application processing.

“These challenges underscore systemic issues within the identity document issuance process, necessitating urgent reforms to ensure equitable and efficient service delivery to all citizens,”

“Specifically, the process of birth registration in Wajir County presents stringent requirements and procedures, contributing to low registration rates, particularly for nonhospital births,” Kajuju noted

The CAJ boss further noted that despite efforts to streamline procedures, challenges persist, including accessibility issues due to the vast geographical area and concerns about bribery in the late registration process.

The Ombudsman is now calling on institutions such as the Registrar, Civil Registration Services; National Registration Bureau; the Immigration Department;, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission; Ministry of Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management; the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of Government Service to implement the recommendations in the report to address the systemic issues aimed at improving the accessibility, efficiency, and fairness of the legal identity document issuance process in Wajir County and beyond.

More to follow…