1,670 Members of the Stateless Shona Community Granted Kenyan Citizenship
Published: 13/Dec/2020
Source: Mwakilishi.com
By John Wanjohi
1,670 members of the stateless Shona community have finally been granted Kenyan citizenship.
They were presented with their citizenship documents by President Kenyatta during the 57th Jamhuri Day celebrations at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday.
Members of the community have lived in the country for over 50 years but were not recognized as Kenyan citizens despite being born and raised here. Their ancestors arrived in Kenya as missionaries in the 1950s from Matebele, Zimbabwe, and settled in the country.
The first group comprising 16 evangelists and their families is said to have come to Kenya in 1959 before splitting and settling in Ngong’ and Juja. They launched their evangelism in Karen, Nairobi, Kinoo, and Juja and later registered the Gospel of God Church in Kenya.