We won’t take part in polls, envoy to Mozambique told
One of the Makonde community elders, Mr Masera Punda and his wife Margret, display documents they got from the Mozambique Embassy. The County Assembly has petitioned Parliament to compel the government to give members of the Makonde and Pemba communities Kenyan citizenship. PHOTO | GEORGE KIKAMI.
What you need to know:
- Speaking on behalf of the Mozambicans, Mr Thomas Nguli said the Makonde, who have been living in Kenya since the colonial period, want to be recognised as Kenyan citizens.
- Members of Kwale County Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee have in the past tried to address the problem but have not made any progress.
A Mozambican diplomat met a hostile reception from the Makonde community in Kwale when he attempted to convince them to participate in his country’s General Election in October.
Mozambique’s High Commissioner to Kenya Floriano Maneno got a rude shock when a meeting he had convened at Jomo Kenyatta Primary School in Msambweni to persuade the Makonde villagers to take part in the elections turned chaotic.
Trouble began when some people boycotted the meeting, accusing the Mozambican government of being of no help to them.
Police officers were called to restore order.
Speaking on behalf of the Mozambicans, Mr Thomas Nguli said the Makonde, who have been living in Kenya since the colonial period, want to be recognised as Kenyan citizens.
NO BUSINESS
They vowed not to take part in the Mozambique elections, saying they had no business in the country.
Mr Nguli said most of them were born in Kenya and they had no relatives or friends in Mozambique.
“He has come here to tell us that life is good in Mozambique but that is not our concern. Our expectation was that he would tell us what the government will do for us,” he said.
He said the diplomat was only interested in ensuring they take part in the southern African nation’s elections in October.
“Today, we are really struggling to get national identity cards. It is so unfortunate that we are fighting this battle on our own without anybody’s help,” he said of Tuesday’s meeting.
Senior officials from the Mozambican Embassy refused to comment on the issue.
MOZAMBICAN CITIZENS
In an earlier interview, the high commissioner told the Nation that his country considered the Makonde people to be Mozambican citizens and that was why he had asked them to take part in their country’s elections.
Ms Christine Kurwa said she had found it hard to secure a business licence for her saloon due to lack of identification papers.
Ms Kurwa noted that although she was married to a Kenyan, she still had difficulties getting a licence for her business.
Members of Kwale County Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee have in the past tried to address the problem but have not made any progress.
Committee chairperson Salim Awadh told Nation he was seeking advice from the registration of persons office in Kwale County.
But the officer in charge, Mr Denis Mwanza, asked the Makonde to appeal to the Senate or seek guidance from the Director of Immigration.
The Makonde of Mozambican descent came to Kenya in 1930 and worked in sisal plantations in Kilifi County and the defunct Ramisi Sugar factory in Kwale county.
