The government will not issue IDs to Somali immigrants on the Lamu-Somalia border, Speaking during a meeting between the immigrants and security officials in Kiunga town on Thursday, Lamu county commissioner Irungu Macharia said despite having lived in Kenya, the law doesn’t provide for the immigrants to be issued with IDs…
This comes days after immigrants numbering over 1,000 appealed to be issued with national IDs, birth certificates and title deeds, The immigrants who are mostly from the Somali and Gosha communities occupy the border villages of Kiunga, Ishakani, Madina, Mararani and Ras Kamboni.
They have for decades been treated as ambiguous citizens as most of them moved from Somalia and settled in Lamu years back, They have even intermarried with the local Bajuni communities and purchased land in the areas.
Macharia said instead of the national IDs the immigrants are seeking, the government shall provide Alien IDs and nothing more. The cards will be issued by June, He said the registration of all immigrants who have attained the age of 18 is under way.
“Staying in Kenya for whatever period still doesn’t give you the right to claim Kenyan citizenship. You remain an immigrant and can only be recognised as an alien by law. We can only give you special cards showing you are in Kenya legally. You can’t be given national IDs. Never,” Macharia said.
