NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 8 – President William Ruto has rejected a call by Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya for the reinstatement of ID vetting in Northeastern saying it discriminated against a section of Kenyans.
Speaking during the funeral of former Independent and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson the late Wafula Chebukati, President Ruto emphasized that the vetting process violated the constitutional rights of Kenyans.
“We cannot continue with a system that divides Kenyans into two segments while getting identification cards,” President Ruto asserted. “This is undemocratic, unconstitutional, and illegal.”
During the ceremony, Natembeya argued that the vetting process is crucial in maintaining national security.
He warned that relaxing these measures could have serious implications, including the increased risk of terrorism, particularly at the border points.
The former Rift Valley regional commissioner insisted that previous administrations had valid reasons for upholding the vetting process, pointing out that many foreign terrorists who fail to obtain Kenyan identification resort to launching attacks using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) before retreating across the border.
On February 5, President Ruto officially discontinued additional vetting and ethnic profiling of individuals in border counties seeking national identity documents.
In a Presidential Proclamation, he directed relevant authorities to revise their registration processes to ensure a fair, transparent, and equitable identification system.
The President acknowledged that residents of border counties have long been subjected to stringent vetting requirements, often seen as discriminatory and disenfranchising.
He added that the National Assembly and other government offices have received multiple petitions from affected communities decrying these extra procedures as unjust.
As the debate continues, stakeholders remain divided on the balance between national security and civil rights, with concerns raised over the potential risks of removing the vetting process versus the need for equal treatment of all Kenyan citizens.
