Editor's Review

Ruto signed a presidential proclamation abolishing the mandatory vetting process for residents of North Eastern in February.

Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has requested President William Ruto to reconsider the abolishment of ID vetting in North Eastern Kenya.

Speaking on Saturday, March 8, Natembeya warned that the move could compromise national security, noting that a thorough vetting process would prevent infiltration of foreign radicals into the country.

"I am humbly requesting, with total humility, that instead of removing it, we revisit and streamline the process to ensure that those sitting on the vetting committees are properly vetted and compensated so that Kenyans can obtain their IDs," he said. 

Natembeya argued that the vetting process does not deny Kenyans their rightful identification documents but rather acts as a safeguard against non-citizens acquiring them.

"Vetting does not deny Kenyans their IDs, it prevents foreigners from obtaining them, ensuring our national security," he added.

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File image of President William Ruto

Natembeya linked past security challenges to laxity in vetting, warning that Kenya could see a resurgence of terrorist activities if stringent measures are not maintained.

"When vetting was absent, terrorism was rampant in the country. Foreign radicals infiltrated Kenya, recruited local youth, and spread terror. If we now allow them to easily obtain IDs, they will exploit this opportunity and intensify acts of terrorism. We must revisit this decision to prevent such threats," he warned.

In February, Ruto signed a presidential proclamation abolishing the mandatory vetting process for residents of North Eastern counties seeking national identification documents. 

This move aimed to eliminate additional vetting and ethnic profiling that residents of these regions have historically faced when applying for IDs and birth certificates.

"If it’s about vetting, let all children of Kenya be vetted equally without any discrimination. We want the people of Northern Kenya to feel equal to the rest of the country," Ruto said at the time.

The vetting requirement, introduced in the 1960s following the Shifta insurgency, mandated residents of border counties to undergo extra scrutiny before obtaining identification documents.