Raila Odinga wants IDs issued to the marginalised

Opposition leader Raila Odinga has asked the Government to fast track issuance of national identification cards to communities along the borders.

The Coalition for Reform and Democracy (CORD) leader said the communities were intentionally alienated by making it difficult for them to acquire the vital document.

Speaking when he met members of the Pokomo Council of Elders at his Capitol Hill offices in Nairobi, Raila said the Government had made it difficult for the youth and newly married women, particularly in border counties to acquire an ID.

This, he said, had denied them opportunity to exercise their democratic right to participate in elections.

The Opposition chief, however, appealed to the communities along the borders to continue demanding for the documents since it is their right.

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Wrong details

He criticised the Government's inaction and silence over numerous reports of identity cards sent to applicants with wrong names and photographs.

"Someone is either sleeping on the job, or there is a conspiracy to deny some Kenyans the right to register and vote," he said.

He also challenged the Government to address the security problem in Tana River saying it had a long history.

"Security problems here used to be blamed on the Shifta, then they started blaming bandits. Today they are blaming Al Shabaab. The Government must be seen to be addressing this problem," he said.

The delegation registered their disquiet over ethnic conflicts that have affected their Tana River County every time elections are held.

The elders claimed that there were already signs of politically-instigated clashes ahead of 2017.