Inside Thousands Denied
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The SPECIAL REPORT NEW ROADS — Pages AUTHORITIES 14 & 19 SUPPLEMENT Enhancing governance for all Link PARTNERSHIP FOR — Pages JUNE 2010 Issue No. 068 Kshs 40/= PEACE PROJECT 15 - 18 Inside Thousands denied HELB loans extended to Kenyans their voting rights studying in Immigration ministry on the spot over delay in issuance of ID cards East Africa By FAITH MUIRURI - Pg 5 YES NO S Kenyans inch closer to getting a new con- stitution through a ref- Judges erred erendum, details have on Kadhi’s Aemerged that tens of hundreds of potential voters will not partici- court - Pg 8 pate in the historic event due to lack of identity cards (IDs). Information available from the directorate of registration of persons indicates that a total ADB, EU to of 965,658 applications are still fund Isiolo- pending. Among the hardest hit are new Moyale road applicants who have been con- signed to a dull oblivion as they - Pg 21 wait for their IDs which are not forthcoming over the last five months. This is despite assurances that Civic the processing of new applications will take only 18 days in Nairobi, educators 28 days in other areas and 38 days in Arid and Semi Arid areas. And express the same applies for the replace- concerns over ment of lost Identity cards. However, the scenario on the their security ground is a far cry from the serv- The divide between the ‘YES’ and ‘NO’ camps on the constitutional referendum ice delivery charter displayed at - Pg 29 continues to widen and the controversial decision by the High Court to outlaw Kadhi the Ministry of State for Immigra- courts, promises to increase the gap separating the ‘GREENS’ and the ‘REDS’. tion and Registration of persons. In various registration centres across the country, thousands of new applicants hang onto slipping Human Rights witnesses critical to Ocampo’s success hope as days turn into months of waiting. By TENNILLE DUFFY to the Witness Protection Act. Moreno-Ocampo has said he Peter Kamau from Murang’a Government failure to act threatens will try for an expeditious District says that he has been The role of human rights defenders to undermine the ICC investigation investigation with a focus on seeking for an ID over the last as witnesses in the International because witness risk could deter those most responsible. He has five months. “But I am yet to get Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation testimony. also spoken of witness protection Months of diplomatic wrangling an ID and now I have missed out into Kenya’s post-election violence and the duty of both the ICC and on the opportunity to participate of 2007-08 is critical to any hope of ended recently with the decision the Kenyan government to protect ultimate prosecution, but protection that the International Criminal Court them. in the forthcoming referendum,” of those witnesses has not been (ICC) will now open an investigation There is, of course, cause for he laments. treated with corresponding gravity. into the post-election violence more than concern when it comes As if that is not enough, new Recent violence against human that rocked Kenya in 2007-08. An to the safety of witnesses in applicants are being confronted rights defenders combined with the advance team has already started Kenya. There have been all-too- with a number of conditions expected political fallout of the ICC laying the groundwork in Kenya frequent reports of witnesses to which they must fulfill even be- prosecutor’s allegations underscore and the ICC prosecutor will start the the Waki Commission, and those fore they can be allowed to fill in the serious need for an effective formal investigations this month. who have simply reported crimes the ID application form. witness protection plan. Such a plan Now that he has been authorised For a new ID, applicants re- Mr. Ocampo has not been realised, despite reforms to investigate the violence, Luis Turn to Page 2, Col. 1 Turn to Page 2, Col. 1 The Link, June 2010 2 GOVERNANCE From page 1 lected in various centres in the country. quire a Birth certificate, school Nairobi has highest number of Potential voters cry uncollected ID cards at 69,353, leaving certificate, medical age assessment certificate, and a let- Rift Valley follows, 58,625,, ter from the provincial adminis- Nyanza 50,389, Central, 39,847, tration to ascertain their names, Western, 26,765, Coast, 26,164, background, age and place of foul over lack of IDs Eastern, 25,908 and North East- birth. ern, 4920 Information available at the In Murang’a, the number of Immigration department indicates registered voters fell short of the that in addition to the above docu- target, with Kangema constitu- ments, new applicants will have ency managing to register only to produce a parent Identity Card, 37,700 voters out of the project- especially if you are a Kenyan by ed figure of 47,000 voters. birth. However, those who are Kiharu constituency regis- Kenyans by registration or natu- tered 82,000 people as voters out ralization are required to produce of the targeted figure of 106,000 a Certificate of registration. and Mathioya got 41,000 out of According to the deputy regis- the projected 60,000. trar of persons at the Kibera DO’s Officials say that the short- office, Catherine Mwangi, those fall was exacerbated by large who do not have the specified number of uncollected identity documents are barred from filling cards in all the districts. in the application forms. In Murang’a East district, the But for Veronica Akinyi, the office of the Registrar of Persons documents are just not available. had more than 4,000 uncollected She says that she has been seek- identity cards while in Kigumo ing the vital document over the there were over 2,000. last four months in vain. However, the IIEC insists that Akinyi, 19, is an orphan and it is within the requirements of does not have some of the docu- an international convention of ments required for registration. Kenyans displaying their ID cards after long waiting. electoral matters that says that She lost her mother at the age for a referendum to be credible, of two years and she has been un- electronic voter registration in the In Funyula, the constituency replacements and majority only two-thirds of eligible voters able to trace her birth certificate area due to lack of national ID electoral coordinator Bernard have waiting cards. must be registered. and the death certificate for her card as Interim Independent Re- Chienga laments that most of “While Interim Independent In 2007, 14 million Kenyans late mother. Officials at the Kib- view Commission (IIEC) on other the youth had failed to register Electoral Commission (IIEC) were registered as voters against era DO’s office where she has hand insists that voters must have as voters due to lack of ID cards. insists that voters must have an a potential of 18 million eligible been seeking to be given an ID an ID card or a passport to be reg- “We have many youths who do ID card or a passport to be regis- voters. So, what the Electoral insist that she will not be allowed istered not have identity cards and so tered, most of these victims who Commission did was to use the to apply for the ID unless she has “I am disappointed. An ID cannot register as voters,” he live in camps have yet to acquire lower limit to set their 10 million supporting documents to ascertain would have accorded me an op- says, adding, only 26,000 voters the docs,” adds the chairman of voter target. her name, age and place of birth. portunity to vote in the new con- had registered against a target of the Kenya Internally Displaced The 10 million plus IIEC has “They have been asking me to stitution which to me represents 38,000. “It is also sad that most People Association (KIDIPA) registered comprise just part of get a letter from the chief in our a fresh start and a new phase women in Funyula do not have Charles Kariuki in an interview the 18 million it is targeting for rural home in Bondo but I was for the youth of Kenya who live ID cards,” he said. with The Link. the 2012 General Elections. In born and brought up in Nairobi through its goodness and chal- Applicants seeking replace- Also set to miss out on the 2007, there were at least 19.8 and I have never set my foot to the lenges. ments have not been spared ei- exercise are individuals who are million people holding ID cards place where they are referring me And the two cases typify the ther. They include thousands of yet to collect their Identity cards. and eligible to register to vote. to,” she reveals. hurdles new applicants routine- poll chaos victims who lost vital Data available at the Ministry of Census figures to be released She says that she has been ly undergo before they can get documents at the height of the Immigration indicate that about later this year will give a clearer locked out of the just concluded Identity cards. skirmishes. They are yet to get 301, 971 are still lying uncol- picture of how this has changed. Human Rights witnesses critical to Ocampo’s success From page 1 day investigation in Kenya. There has already said it will meet with witnesses and the investigators. organisations, as well as the ICC team. to the police, being threatened. can be little doubt that their deaths organisations such as the Kenya The mechanisms of the ICC are Reports note that security has been Numerous people have left the were linked to the information and National Commission on Human also insufficient to protect human established for Moreno-Ocampo and country, too afraid for their own allegations they had published, and Rights and the Kenya Human Rights rights defenders.