Maasai leaders call on State to issue youths with IDs without discrimination

By Antony Gitonga                                 

KENYA: Members of the Maasai community are now calling on the government to scrap the vetting of their youths before getting IDs.

The community termed the move as archaic adding that they had been discriminated by the exercise which targeted only them.

Speaking in Naivasha during a meeting for leaders from Nakuru County, the community said that the vetting was overtaken by times.

 According to one of the leaders Joseph Ole Kishau, they were opposed to the exercise as it marginalized them.

 “We are the only community vetted before getting IDs and this exercise should be done away with as it’s archaic and colonial,” he said.

 During the meeting, the leaders called on their counterparts from Kajiado and Narok to stop interfering with issues of Nakuru County.

 “We respect our brothers from nearby counties very much but they should stop bringing in politics into Nakuru County,” said Kishau.

 The sentiments were echoed by Member of County Assembly Jane Simitta who said that they would take all measures to kick out the vetting exercise.

 She wondered why only the Maasai community was subjected to the exercise which according to her was unfair and immoral.

 “Due to this exercise our youths are missing employment and we want to be considered just like other communities when it comes to jobs,” she said.

 TNA coordinator in Naivasha Karimi Waiganjo who had organized the meeting thanked the leaders for uniting.

 Karimi said that they were committed to ensuring peace in the borders of Narok and Kajiado for the sake of development.

 “For years we have seen bloody clashes on our county borders but we are happy that due to the found unity the differences have ended,” he said.

 During the meeting attended by over 200 Maasai leaders, differences between various clans were set aside and prayers recited to mark the new found unity.