Hon Waqo Urges for Non-Discrimination Against North Eastern Residents

Marsabit County MP The Honorable Canon Naomi Waqo CBS has called for all North Eastern residents to be treated with dignity when seeking government services.

She notes,”I have called on the State Department of Immigration and Citizen Services to put an end to the discriminatory vetting process used to issue IDs to citizens from the Northern and North Eastern part of Kenya. As a member of the Regional Integration Committee, I expressed this concern during a meeting with the Principal Secretary of the department, Amb. Julius Bitok.

She says the lengthy and burdensome vetting process has unfairly denied eligible individuals from my county the right to own identification cards.

She further said that despite being over 18 years old, many people from the Northern and North Eastern region have been denied IDs due to this discriminatory process.

During the meeting she highlighted a specific incident in Marsabit County where residents faced extensive questioning, reflecting a clear case of discrimination against my constituents.

“Amb. Bitok acknowledged the discriminatory nature of the vetting process and shared plans to replace it with a system based on school enrollment. He mentioned the establishment of locational committees where chiefs and assistant chiefs would be responsible for identifying locals eligible for ID issuance,” she said.

She noted that she also received assurances from the PS regarding the immediate deployment of a civil registar (births and death registrar) to Sololo Sub-County and the expedited opening of the Sololo Registry.

“I believe it is essential to address this issue promptly and ensure that every citizen, regardless of their region, is treated fairly and has access to their rightful identification documents.” she added.