Thursday, February 6, 2025 - President William Ruto has revoked the long-standing vetting requirement for issuing identification documents to residents of Northern Kenya and counties bordering neighboring nations.
The directive, announced on Wednesday in Wajir County,
overturns a policy that had been in place for six decades.
Speaking at the event, President Ruto reaffirmed that all
Kenyans are equal under the law and should not face discrimination based on
ethnicity, religion, or location.
The vetting procedure was initially introduced after the
1960s Shifta insurgency, a secessionist conflict in which ethnic Somalis and
Borana fighters sought to join Somalia.
The move is widely seen as Ruto’s strategy to consolidate
support in the northeastern region, historically aligned with the opposition.
However, critics warn of security implications, arguing that
criminals and illegal immigrants could exploit Kenya’s porous borders to obtain
vital documents.
Others fear the change may lead to increased scrutiny of
Kenyan travelers abroad, as concerns over document authenticity and national
security emerge.
See the reactions below.
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