Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has defended the issuance of Kenyan national identity cards to citizens residing in neighbouring countries, saying their presence outside Kenya does not make them foreign nationals or strip them of their constitutional rights.
Murkomen said Kenyans working or residing outside the country remain entitled to identification documents and can participate in elections, including the 2027 General Election, provided they meet the legal requirements.
“Every Kenyan, regardless of where they are staying or where they are doing business, for as long as he is a Kenyan, has a right to have an identity card and they have a right to be registered to vote in the next election,” Murkomen said.
The CS spoke on Thursday during a tour of the ongoing construction of Kiminini Market in Trans Nzoia County.
He urged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to facilitate the registration of eligible Kenyan citizens living in neighbouring countries.
Murkomen specifically cited Kenyans working in Uganda, saying they should not be denied access to government identification services because they are temporarily outside the country’s borders.
“We have said every Kenyan, even if you live in Uganda, you have the right to an ID and a chance to register to vote,” he said.
He said the government was working to enable Kenyans in neighbouring countries to access identification services through Kenyan diplomatic missions.
Murkomen stressed that the exercise was targeting Kenyan citizens and should not be used to confer voting rights on nationals of other countries.
The issue has generated debate ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly over the registration of Kenyans in Uganda and other neighbouring states.
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, who joined other leaders in raising concerns over the process, said non-Kenyans should not be allowed to participate in the country’s electoral process.
“We want to tell our brothers and sisters in Uganda that they should not interfere with our sovereign right to elect leaders as Kenyans,” Natembeya said.
Murkomen also said the government had scrapped charges for the issuance of national identity cards and warned registration officials against demanding payments from applicants.
“Getting an ID is free. If you hear anyone calling you for money at registration, report that person,” he said.
The CS linked possession of identification documents to access to other civic rights, saying eligible Kenyan citizens should not be excluded because of their place of residence or work.
Sh3bn market projects
During the tour, Murkomen said the Kiminini Market was part of a wider government programme aimed at providing modern and organised trading spaces for small-scale businesses.
He said similar market projects were being implemented in other parts of Trans Nzoia, with the combined investment estimated at about Sh3 billion.
Kiminini MP Kakai Bisau dismissed allegations by opposition leaders that the government had favoured particular communities in the recent recruitment of chiefs in the region.
Endebess MP Robert Pukose urged residents to support government development programmes, saying cooperation among elected leaders was necessary to accelerate development projects in the county.
Murkomen also addressed concerns over insecurity and the spread of illicit alcohol in Trans Nzoia.
He said security agencies would continue pursuing people involved in the manufacture, transportation and distribution of illegal alcoholic drinks.
According to the CS, 71 suspects had recently been arrested and presented in court as part of an ongoing crackdown.
He called on residents to work with security agencies in combating illicit alcohol and cautioned politicians against mobilising young people to engage in violence.
