Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya remains unwavering in his opposition to President William Ruto’s directive to scrap the vetting process for residents of North Eastern Kenya before issuing them with national identification cards.
Natembeya argues that this decision could open the door for Somali citizens to acquire Kenyan IDs, posing a significant security risk.
Speaking on Monday, February 10, 2025, Natembeya defended his earlier criticism of the president’s directive, emphasizing that his stance was motivated by patriotism rather than political affiliation.
“Napenda taifa la Kenya kuliko vile ninavyopenda siasa. Mimi nakaa Kenya hii ata kusafiri kutoka taifa la Kenya mimi sisafiri sana kwa sababu napenda taifa langu sana. Na mi naona maswala ambayo yanakuja kuharibu nchi lazima niseme. Hio ambayo rais alisema siku hio ilikua labda ilisemekana katika political context lakini consequences ziko mbaya. Na mimi nahofia hio tu pekeake,” Natembeya said.
[I love my country more than I love politics. I hardly travel outside Kenya because I am deeply committed to my nation. When I see something that could harm this country, I must speak up. What the president said that day may have been in a political context, but the consequences are severe, and that is my only concern.]
He further clarified that his concerns were solely about national security and not about discriminating against Kenyan Somalis.
“Mtu akikuja achukue kitambulisho, sio Mkenya. Mimi Wasomali Wakenya I’ve got no problem with them. Mimi nimefanya vetting ya Wakenya Wasolami wakati nlikua DC kule Kamkunji, ningependa tu ata Msomali mmoja akuje aseme wakati Nayembeya alikua anafanya vetting uko Kamkunji alituprofile ama alituonea,” he said.
[If someone who is not Kenyan acquires an ID, that is the issue. I have no problem with Kenyan Somalis. I conducted vetting for Kenyan Somalis when I was the District Commissioner in Kamkunji, and I challenge anyone to say that I profiled or discriminated against them during that process.]
Vetting as a security measure
Natembeya dismissed claims that vetting was a form of ethnic profiling, instead describing it as a necessary security measure.
“Sio mambo ya ethnic profiling na sio mambo ya siasa Natembeya ako pale kwa Azimio, ni mambo ambayo anaona ni ya ukweli. Hii kazi nimeifanya na mi naona kuna consequences ambayo ziko very dire,” he said.
[This is not about ethnic profiling or politics. This is about safeguarding our country. I have worked in security and I know the consequences of lax regulations. They are dire.]
The governor further warned that allowing chiefs in North Eastern Kenya to issue IDs without oversight would lead to abuse of the system.
“Ikifanyika kwamba ni chief peake anapeana vitambulisho kutakua na vita North Eastern maana kila chief atakua anaenda kule Somalia kuenda kuleta clan yake kuja kuwapatia,” he warned.
[If it happens that chiefs are solely responsible for issuing IDs, there will be chaos. Each chief will go to Somalia to bring their clan members and issue them IDs. That will create conflicts.]
Natembeya slams Ruto’s decision
Earlier, Natembeya had strongly criticized President Ruto’s move to abolish the vetting process for obtaining national identification cards.
He cautioned that removing these security measures could have long-term implications.
“The previous presidents had a reason for maintaining the vetting process. If you allow people to just walk in and get IDs without scrutiny, how will you differentiate between a Somali from Somalia and a Somali born in Wajir, Garissa, Mandera, or Trans Nzoia? The clans are the same, the language is the same, the religion is the same, and the culture is the same,” he argued.
According to Natembeya, while the president’s decision might appear beneficial in the short term, it could compromise national security in the long run.
“This is not an issue to use for populist politics. It may sound good now, but the consequences will be dire. I am speaking as someone with experience in security. I don’t have a PhD in it, but from my practical knowledge, I can tell you this will cause problems. This is not about profiling any community – even Ugandans have acquired Kenyan IDs and joined our security forces. A single document has serious implications. The president was not well advised on this matter,” he remarked.
While acknowledging that the vetting process had its flaws, including instances where foreign nationals bribed officials to acquire Kenyan IDs illegally, Natembeya stressed that alternative measures should have been implemented to ensure legitimate Kenyan citizens received their IDs without jeopardizing national security.
Ruto ends ID vetting
President Ruto’s decision marks a significant shift in the country’s identification process.
The decision, announced by President Ruto via Presidential Proclamation on February 5, 2025, has ignited a nationwide debate over citizenship verification processes and national identity in Kenya.
According to Ruto, the abolition of vetting is aimed at streamlining access to national documents for residents of North Eastern Kenya, a region that has long faced bureaucratic hurdles and accusations of systemic discrimination in obtaining IDs and birth certificates.
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