On this National Identity Day, as we celebrate the fundamental right to identity, we, the undersigned civil society organizations urgently call on the government of Kenya to move from policy pronouncements and promises to tangible action to address gaps and systemic injustices such as the legacy of ID vetting that continue to undermine the citizenship rights of millions of Kenyans.
Kenya committed to SDG16:9, which calls for the provision of legal identity for all by 2030. Yet, despite this pledge, government practices in citizenship documentation processes actively undermine this promise through discriminatory ID vetting, entrenched corruption and other systemic issues that block Kenyan citizens from accessing IDs.
While the government had earlier in 2025 declared vetting as unconstitutional and made progressive and welcome changes to put an end to the practice through an executive order, 6 months later, evidence from affected communities reveals a starkly different reality.
For millions of Kenyans, mainly from majority Muslim communities and other minority ethnic groups, the promise to end ID vetting remains only on paper.
In practice the new structure for ID applications, that applies to only some sections of Kenyans, still creates excessive demands on applicants while also retaining the unchecked power of officials mainly chiefs – to determine whether an applicant gets an ID, even when the applicant provides government-issued supporting documents as part of their application.
Following the abolishing of vetting, the government, through the Ministry of interior, gazetted new ID registration guidelines. Now, the new ID process requires applicants to provide proof of citizenship (birth certificate and parents ID), letter of introduction from the chief and chiefs thumbprint, parents to appear in person to put thumbprint on the application form, follow-up from the chief to again reverify the applicant and thereafter the application is forwarded to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and National Intelligence Service (NIS) for additional verification before an individual can get their identity card.
Every aspect of the new ID rules contains extremely concerning provisions that are like the old vetting. The extra requirements of a chiefs thumbprint, parents to appear in person and provide thumbprints, chiefs re-verification and involvement of security agencies for additional verification are simply another form of vetting and have only disguised vetting into a series of steps with the same government departments, opening opportunities for continued arbitrary questions, extra requests, and denials – in a similar fashion to the old vetting process.
“Kenya’s Constitution does not permit a two-tiered system where different ID application standards are imposed on sections of Kenyan citizens based solely on religious background or ethnicity. We urge the government to finally address this long-standing injustice and ensure every Kenyan enjoys equal, non-discriminatory access to citizenship documents.”
Additionally, due to this new process of devolved vetting, many ID applicants continue to face unnecessary delays for months, if not years, locking them in a limbo that denies them their right to identity.
Coupled with other enduring administrative challenges including and not limited to widespread corruption, prohibitive and inconsistent application fees, and distance from registration offices or Huduma centers, too many Kenyans still face significant barriers when seeking ID cards.
Considering the foregoing, on this day dedicated to identity, we civil society organizations and directly impacted communities urge the Government to seize the opportunity to implement its pledge on SDG16:9 and fulfill its promise of nationality documentation for all by:
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