The High Court has ordered the government to deregister at least 40,000 Kenyans from the refugee list and issue them national identification cards within 60 days.

Justice John Onyiego, in his judgment on Tuesday, said that the government violated the Constitution by remaining silent while citizens languished for lack of nationality despite being citizens by birth.

Justice Onyiego observed that the Ministry of Interior had already vetted the victims who surrendered their nationality by registering themselves as refugees at Dadaab refugee camp to get food rations during the drought and sourcing for medical care.

The Judge said that if the government was diligent enough, it ought to have offered the services and items required for all.