Residents have difficulties getting IDs cards in Nyeri

Despite being born and brought up in Nyeri, their efforts to get national identification cards (IDs) have not been successful.

Whenever they apply for the IDs, members of Garre, Borana and Degodia are told to go back to their ancestral homes.

Galgalo Kalaa, an elder in Majengo slum in Nyeri, settled in the area in 1977 and has served in a committee that vets people applying for the IDs.

However, even his daughter, Zuleiha Galgallo, 19, who was born in Majengo, did not get the document when she applied for it last year.

"Even if we approve people at this level, the ID cards never return from Nairobi. This has been the situation since I got into the committee," said Mr Kalaa.

The elder said things got worse for his daughter after she was told to go and apply for the document in her ancestral home. 

That left her wondering which home they were referring to, having lived in Nyeri all her life. Her mother is a native of Nyeri but the father originates from Moyale.

Zaitun Mohammed, 30, shared a similar story. She said she applied for the ID thrice but none of the applications has been successful.

The mother of three who was born in the slum noted that when they once complained to officers in charge of Registration of Persons that President Uhuru Kenyatta had ordered for all Kenyans to be issued with the cards, they were told to tell the President to himself issue them.

"I once applied and instead of getting the ID card, I got a document which read go to your home," said Ms Mohammed who belongs to the Degodia clan, Wajir.

Abdi Ali said even after having lived in Nyeri County for 38 years and having all his children in Majengo, they have been denied ID cards and told to go apply in their Mandera home.