Kenya: Uhuru apologizes to Makonde community, orders their registration

Published: 13/Oct/2016
Source: CapitalFM (Nairobi)

By JOSEPH MURAYA

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 13 – President Uhuru Kenyatta Thursday issued a directive that all eligible Makonde people should be issued with national Identity Cards by December.

The President, who also hosted a delegation of 300 members of the community, who trekked from Kwale County, at State House, Nairobi apologized to them.

“I seek your apology on behalf of other Kenyans because Kenya has taken too long to consider you as our brothers and sisters,” said the President as he assured the delegation “that today will be the last day that anyone will say the Makonde are not part of this nation.”

The President further ordered responsible Government departments to ensure the members of the community are issued with title deeds for land they own.

The Makonde community lives in Kwale County but was originally from Mozambique and have for decades been kept without citizenship.

President Kenyatta told the delegation that the issue had been brought to his attention by the Governor of Kwale, Salim Mvurya, and that the Government has been working to resolve the matter.

Earlier in the day, President Kenyatta chaired a Cabinet meeting, which among other issues, adopted a directive to start the process of giving citizenship to the Makonde.

Read further: https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2016/10/uhuru-apologizes-to-makonde-community-orders-their-registration/

Themes: Discrimination, Ethnic/Racial/Religious, Identity Documents, Naturalisation and Marriage, Statelessness
Regions: Kenya
Year: 2016