It is often at election time when questions around nationality come to the fore – when the meaning of citizenship is challenged in its fullest sense of the right to participate in public affairs of a country. There are many well-known cases of politicians whose right to nationality in the country where they wish to stand for office has been brought into question. Some of these have been litigated up to the level of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, but less-well known cases arise with almost every election. Elections also see regular assertions that certain groups of potential voters have been registered to vote even though they are not citizens.
By Fidel Budy As a researcher who has spent the last three years of my life researching in my native Liberia, my view, as a diaspora Liberia is different to those of my colleagues speaking in the Front-Page Africa on…
By Rodney Sieh Monrovia – Diaspora-based Liberians are weighing in on a controversial version of the Dual Citizenship Clause proposed by the upper house of the National Legislature. The most controversial component of the Senate proposition deals with the issue…
By IBRAHIM ORUKO Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi has criticised the legal provisions that place state jobs out of reach for Kenyans holding dual citizenships. Mr Mudavadi at the same time asked the Independent Electoral and boundaries Commission…
By Aggrey Mutambo Kenya’s ambassador-nominee to South Korea, Ms Mwende Mwinzi, is suing to have Parliament stopped from forcing her to renounce her US citizenship before she takes up the job. In a case that could determine how Kenyans in…
…as tribunal sacks Ondo lawmaker with Nigeria-UK citizenship Sunday Aborisade, Eniola Akinkuotu, Ade Adesomoju, Ramon Oladimeji and Tobi Aworinde The Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, and several other lawmakers risk…
By Amina Wako Exiled lawyer and politician Miguna Miguna has taken legal action against Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang’i, and 24 other government officials following his Kenyan citizenship denial. They government officials include the Attorney General, Principal Secretary of the…
By AGGREY MUTAMBO Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has cemented his nationalistic credentials by renouncing his American citizenship as the electioneering race heats up. On Thursday, President Farmaajo, who had acquired his US citizenship by naturalisation after serving as a…
By Ntwaagae Seleka Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has threatened to take legal action against author Dan Roodt over a tweet claiming Lesufi is not a South African citizen. “… I have read all his [Hendrik Verwoerd] speeches. Yet, Lesufi…
The President of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo has renounced his citizenship of the United States, according to the humanitarian journalist Moulid Hujale. This comes as 38% of the federal MPs of Somalia have dual citizenship. The issue of Somali…
Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has renounced his American citizenship, his office announced Thursday, without elaborating on why the dual citizen chose to give up his adopted passport. Mohamed, known widely by his nickname Farmajo, began the process to relinquish…