Protect the ‘right of existence’ of minorities

Nationality rights is not an issue that receives much attention in this country, so it is quite heartening to learn that much progress has been made, thanks to quiet pressure from civil society.

A global report on statelessness says some 100,000 Nubians in Kenya have had less difficulty obtaining national identity cards, particularly since they filed lawsuits in 2003 and 2004 against the Government in the High Court and the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights based in the Gambia. Allowing them to enjoy the same basic rights as other citizens is a commendable first step. It ought to be followed by the inclusion of their concerns in land reform processes aimed at untangling historical knots.