Tanzanian women married to Kenyans to now receive national IDs

Some of the women disclosed that they were married in Kenya 40 years ago, and their children and grandchildren are Kenyan citizens by birth. [Courtesy]

The government has started the process of documenting Tanzanian women married to Kenyan men in Taita Taveta County.

County Commissioner Josephine Onunga said this is to ensure that foreign women married in the region are issued with national identity cards to participate in nation building.

"There are many cross-border marriages that have been taking place in the county that borders Tanzania, and we are working on programs to make sure that foreign women are documented for the purposes of registration. The foreign women will soon be recognised and issued with identity cards," confirmed Ms Onunga in Voi town on Wednesday.

The National Government Administration (NGAO) and Immigration Department officers are spearheading the registration process, revealed Onunga.

Last year, the foreign women protested to the county government that they had been denied identity cards due to lack of a certificate of registration.

"We have grandchildren with my Tanzanian wife, who is still not registered. We have constantly been trying to register her in vain," protested Joseph Mwandoto, from Mwatate Sub County.

NGAO officials in Taveta Sub County revealed that cross-border marriages are on the increase at the border. For instance, Kitobo location Chief Yunis Jureji noted his location has more than 500 Tanzanian women married to Kenyan men.

"Some of these women were married at a very tender age. More women and men are crossing borders to find their better halves," Mr Jureji told The Standard.

Former Deputy Governor Majala Mlagui asked the government to ensure that foreign marriages in the region are supported and recognised.

Some of the women disclosed that they were married in Kenya 40 years ago, and their children and grandchildren are Kenyan citizens by birth.

"We cannot fully participate in building the economy because we lack the relevant documents. We cannot even access simple services such as Mpesa or loans or even register in woman Saccos because we do not have the relevant documentation.

We have also been unable to participate in the electoral process due to lack of IDs," one of the Tanzanian women married to Kenyans noted.

Meanwhile, the Pare community living in Taveta subcounty has petitioned the government to register them as citizens of Kenya.

The community members have been living along the Kenya-Tanzania border and are estimated to be about 15,000 people in Kenya.

The community's chairperson, Rama Lukindo, presented the petition to the government demanding that they want to be recognised as one of the ethnic tribes in the cosmopolitan county.