President Uhuru Kenyatta to issue ID cards to Makonde in Kwale

Makonde people at Makongeni camp in Msambweni Sub County of Kwale County. Due to lack of IDs the community which was recently accepted as Kenyans was worried that it would miss out of the ongoing voter registration.

The Makonde Community that has been stateless for over fifty years is expected to receive the long awaited Kenyan Identification Cards issued by President Uhuru Kenyatta this Tuesday.

The ceremony which has been confirmed by Kwale County Commissioner Kutswa Olaka will take place at Sawasawa grounds in Msambweni.

"It is true the President will be here and preparations are going on for his visit. We expect Makonde from Kilifi and Kwale but their number is not yet confirmed," he said.

Those from Kwale to get the IDs are however 1,073 according to earlier statistics that had been given by Matuga Deputy Commissioner Mwangi Kahiro.

In October last year, Uhuru issued a directive that all eligible Makonde people should be issued with national IDs by December, a deadline that was not met.

This was after the community in collaboration with Kenya human rights organisations, Huria, Haki Centre, Msamwatch and Kwale human rights network trekked to Nairobi to seek audience with the president over the issue.

On Monday anxiety had gripped Makongeni village with its Chairperson Thomas Nguli comparing the long wait to that of Israelites in the wilderness.

Nguli said that they are very happy and excited that a journey they started long time ago is reaching its end Tuesday.

"We are more likely the same as Israelites who walked for years in the desert, faced all difficulties but arrived in Canaan. Once we have the IDs there will be no discrimination because we will be Kenyan citizens," he said.

According to Nguli, Makonde attending the event at Sawa Sawa ground in Msambweni are over 7,000 from Kilifi and Kwale.

The community members came to Kenya in the 1950s to work in sisal plantations and although others went back to Mozambique, a sizeable number remained in Kenya.

Kwale human rights network coordinator George Jaramba however criticised the national government for taking advantage of helpless Makonde community to achieve their political end.

"We feel as a civil society organisations and Human rights defenders we have achieved what we fought for but we are seeing a lot of
politics in it because the issuance of IDs to Makonde is coinciding with voter's registration," he said.

He said the community is mature and conscious in making its decision on which party to vote for after registering as voters.

Jaramba said the issuance of IDs is not only the achievement for Makonde but CSO's and HRDs who have been working with them to fight for their rights.

"We expect other stateless people to also be considered by the government and recognised as citizens," he added.