Bungoma girl denied ID in Nyeri despite Uhuru order

A house help from Bungoma who works in Nyeri has been denied an opportunity to acquire a national identity card despite a presidential directive that all Kenyans should be able to register anywhere in the country.

In what could be leading to the low uptake of IDs, clerks in Kieni West sub-county turned away Ms Lillian Nasimiyu and told her to go back to her home district for the crucial document.

This is despite the househelp having all the documents required. The documents were also certified by the county commissioner.

The incident has left both Ms Nasimiyu,23, and her employer employer Agnes Wachira confused and angry.

On Wednesday morning, Ms Nasimiyu took all the documents including one that had been signed by the Nyeri Deputy County Commissioner John Marete to the Registrar of Person office in Nyeri.

But she was chased away by one of the clerks who asked Ms Nasimiyu to go back to her home district to get an ID.

“Alinifukuza akanirushia form na akaniambia toka hapa mara moja uende kwenu ukachukulie huko ID (The clerk told me to my face that they do not register Bukusu people and I should go back to Bungoma and get it there),” Ms Nasimiyu told the Nation during the interview in Nyeri town.

However, the shocked and agitated 23-year-old Ms Nasimiyu went home weeping where she informed her boss, Ms Wachira.

The two went back to the registrar of persons’ office where this time they met another officer who repeated the same words before dismissing them.

When Nation visited the bureau offices, the officer who had turned Ms Nasimiyu was away. The registrar-in-charge of Kieni-West Christopher Muthee said he will investigate the matter and revert.

“I was not the person who dealt with that case, so I do not know about it,” he said.

Speaking in Nanyuki during the homecoming of Devolution Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri, President Kenyatta asked those responsible for registering people to stop nagging them and instead allow Kenyans to register from areas of their choice.

“Hii maneno ya chief kuenda kusema rudi ulikozaliwa kupata kitambulisho iishe. Pahali unakoishi ndiko kwako, upatiwe kitambulisho yako hapo, upewe kura hapo, wewe ni Mkenya hapo.( This issue of chiefs asking people to go register themselves at home should stop. Where you stay is your home and one should be registered there because that is also part of Kenya),” said the President.

Ms Wachira said that she reminded the officer about President Kenyatta’s declaration but instead the clerk dismissed her.