It is a major relief for Northern Kenya frontier counties after President William Ruto announced that issuance of national identity cards will no longer require extensive vetting previously witnessed.
The President, who made the announcement yesterday, said that all Kenyan children are equal, as stipulated by the Constitution, and no region should face discriminatory practices when applying for the crucial document. "I want to assure the people that the discrimination witnessed in the region for the last 60 years will come to an end.
When a child from Mandera, Wajir or Garissa applies for an ID and is asked so many questions, this must stop forthwith," said the President, speaking in Mandera on his first day of the Northern Kenya tour.
The President further stated that he would oversee the removal of the vetting process today, ensuring that all Kenyans can be counted without their background being questioned. "All Kenyans are equal as the constitution provides, no Kenyan is bigger than the other," he said.
