Let’s re-register real Kenyans and boost national security

By David Oginde

Back in 2003, in the early days of the NARC government, the Church approached the government to express its concern over the influx of foreigners into the country. In several meetings with senior government officials, the Church was apprehensive that with the porous borders, and with little or no control over who enters the country, illegal arms and dangerous materials appeared to be finding their way into the nation.

Worse still, many foreigners were acquiring national documents such as birth certificates, IDs, and passports rather easily.

It was the Church’s position that unless the situation was arrested, the nation faced a serious security threat in the future and in proportions that could be unmanageable.

Unfortunately, as is sometimes common with our leaders, the Church’s alarm was readily dismissed. I recall, in one of our meetings, a senior cabinet minister dismissed us as alarmists who were out to cause despondency in the nation.

Another senior government official was concerned that any move to control the situation could backfire and pose a security threat to the nation. Well, less than ten years down the road, most of what the Church feared has systematically unfolded before us as if previously choreographed.

But all is not lost. Some of the current and proposed actions by the government are in the right direction and must be supported by patriotic Kenyans. This must not be a time for playing partisan politics and useless activism. It is well known that in times of crisis, democratic leadership can never work, directive leadership does.

There must be one leader who gives direction — yes, with sound advice and wise counsel — and the rest of the people follow in tow. It is high time all Kenyans, and especially our activists and politicians, realised that this nation is in a crisis.

The train has derailed in the territory of ferocious beasts.

All must be done to get it back on track while ensuring the safety of all on board. Accordingly, all arms of government — the Executive, Judiciary, Legislature, and Official Opposition; county and national — must work in concert to ensure the future of our beloved nation.

It is in this light that we must see and judge the recent efforts to smoke out criminals, identify and repatriate illegal aliens, and re-register Kenyans. We must first and foremost come from the perspective that these are necessary steps, even as we remain alert to any abuses, excesses, or corruptive acts.

Thus whereas much debate has surrounded the proposed re-registration of Kenyan citizens and issuance of new digital identity cards, as a corrective measure, it must be supported. It is not lost on anybody that Kenyan documents are perhaps among the easiest to obtain.

If you have ever tried to apply for a UK visa or for a Tanzanian work permit, then you may have come face to face with the reality that there are people who value their nationhood and guard their citizenship jealously.

On the other hand, it has been reported that our national IDs, work permits, and passports have been on sale like tomatoes. The range is from those who print fake ones to those who sell genuine ones.

Hence, whereas thousands — indeed millions — of Kenyans are languishing in unemployment, foreigners have work permits to serve as messengers, shop attendants, and construction workers.

Likewise, our economy has been completely distorted by the inflow of illegal money that has been used to purchase literally every inch of our major cities. Very soon, if we are not careful, we may become landless in our own country. That is if we survive the many acts of terrorism believed to be perpetrated mainly by foreigners. If that is not a crisis then I do not know what is.

The sad truth is that we have brought all these upon ourselves because of our greed — insatiable greed. It is only such kind of greed that can explain why a sane person can sell poison to fellow human beings in the name of a drink. It seems to me that when Mwalimu Julius Nyerere described Kenya as a man-eat-man society, he was actually far from the truth — it was an understatement.

Of course the eight billion-shilling question is whether re-registration of Kenyans will make any difference.

I believe so, especially if it is well thought through and properly implemented. For sure, corruption must be firmly dealt with. The recent decree by the President to the chiefs on illegal brews must be equally applied to all officers involved in the re-registration of Kenyans.

Those who take advantage of the new exercise and attempt to sell the country for a pittance must be shown the door to the cells…from the highest to the lowest levels.

With these efforts, we may in the end achieve little, but it will be little in the right direction. But little is much when God is in it. The church must cry out for our beloved country!

Dr Oginde holds a PhD in Organisational Leadership and is the Presiding Bishop of Christ is the Answer Ministries (CITAM)