President William Ruto has announced a change in the application of national identity cards.
Speaking during a Muslim leaders' Iftar dinner at State House, Nairobi on Monday, April 8, Ruto stated the government was amending the guidelines on ID cards.
In the amendment, the Head of State announced the abolishment of vetting during the national ID card application process for members of certain ethnic groups.
Ruto termed the vetting process discriminatory and made it clear that starting in May, the process will be abolished.
“Every Kenyan should be treated equally. We have changed the old policy and have concluded the policy documents. Beginning May this year, there will no longer be vetting for people who want to get their IDs,” the president told Muslim leaders.
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“I will issue a policy document to ensure we have a mechanism similar to other Kenyans and don’t discriminate on the basis of religion or region," he added.
At the same time, Ruto pointed out that security will still be upheld despite abolishing the vetting process.
"We will still be keen on security matters but that should not be a basis for discriminating against any section of our society," he insisted.
The vetting process involves applicants being required to provide proof of Kenyan citizenship to be issued with ID cards. It mostly targeted some ethnic groups in the country.
In the new order, Ruto did not reveal the formula that would be adopted by the government to verify the citizenship issue.
