President William Ruto has announced the abolishment of vetting during the national ID card application process for members of certain ethnic groups starting May 2024.
The process involves the applicants, often Asians, Arabs and Nubians who are not considered ‘indigenous’ communities, being required to provide proof of Kenyan citizenship to be issued with ID cards.
It has for years sparked condemnation as the government is accused of ethnic and religious discrimination.
During a Muslim leaders’ Iftar dinner at State House, Nairobi on Monday, Ruto said the government was amending the guidelines on ID card issuance to abolish the process which he described as discriminatory.
“Every Kenyan should be treated equally. We have changed the old policy and have concluded the policy documents. Beginning May this year, there will no longer be vetting for people who want to get their IDs,” the president told Muslim leaders.
“I will issue a policy document to ensure we have a mechanism similar to other Kenyans and don’t discriminate on the basis of religion or region,” he added.
At the same time, Ruto pointed out that security will still be upheld despite abolishing the vetting process.
“We will still be keen on security matters but that should not be a basis of discriminating against any section of our society,” he insisted.
