The government has embarked on a vetting exercise meant to de-register Kenyans listed in UNHCR database.
Over 40,000 Kenyans who have found themselves in the UN refugee agency database have been living in desperation because of Kenyan Citizenship documentation.
The Ministry of Interior has called on the county Security and Intelligence Committee to vet and register Kenyans who previously registered as refugees.
According to the communiqué, Area chiefs should ensure the affected person is accompanied by a parent and a photo of the applicant. They are also required to produce acceptable documentary evidence as proof of age and also to declare their refugee status number acquired at the refugee camp.
“Where the affected person’s parents or siblings are deceased, the chief will confirm in writing the blood guardian to support the identity of the affected person and shall be required to commit himself on the application forms,” reads the communiqué .
Garissa’s Deputy County Commissioner Solomon Chesut said they encountered anomalies during the 2019 vetting process in the presentation of documents hence some individuals are yet to secure their citizenship documentation.
Over 12,000 individuals were issued with identity cards in January 2022.
“Those who applied ,we are assuring them that they should not worry because there were some anomalies and we are correcting it, the sub-county security and Intelligence committee are sitting down to make corrections where possible and if individuals are required they will be called,” noted Chesut.
Haki Na Sheria Initiative’s program Officer Khasida Abdullahi urged the government to solve the double registration quagmire saying individuals registered in the UN’s Refugee agency database should manage to de-register themselves at will without undergoing such an exercise in the near future.
