MPs raise alarm over 60 years of statelessness in Kenya, back recognition for Pare, Chuka communities
Published: 19/Jun/2025
Source: The Eastleigh Voice (Nairobi)
By Maureen Kinyanjui
Members of Parliament have raised concerns over the continued existence of stateless communities in Kenya, more than 60 years after independence, as the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics supported fresh petitions seeking the formal recognition of the Pare and Chuka as distinct ethnic groups.
The issue came up during a session of the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity, chaired by Janet Sitienei, where KNBS Director General Macdonald Obudho presented submissions on the two petitions.
Petition No. 1 of 2025 seeks recognition of the Pare people, while Petition No. 9 of 2025 calls for the recognition of the Chuka.