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"id": 953946,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Prof. Ekal",
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"speaker": {
"id": 13226,
"legal_name": "Malachy Charles Ekal Imana",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir, for also giving the chance to thank Sen. Dr. (Ali) for bringing this particular Statement to the Floor. What the other Hon. Members have said is all true. This is to say that this is a serious problem in our country. Something must be done to stop the harassment and the embarrassment that some of our folks go through. Sometimes people think that Kenya is a small country, but when you consider somebody from Kibish in Turkana, who is on the border of Kenya and Ethiopia, and he or she has to travel to Nairobi to get a passport. Imagine somebody from Nadapal, which is at the border of Kenya and South Sudan, and they have to travel to Nairobi to get these services. Why can these services not be decentralized? They should be put in the counties in such a way that people can get them right there at their homes. Mr. Speaker, Sir, then there is the tax factor. Every time somebody from such far flung areas travels to Nairobi, they spend money travelling, sleeping and eating in Nairobi. This is an extra burden and an extra tax on people that should not be there. The third point I want to mention, Mr. Speaker, Sir, is the vetting of people because you do not think that they are Kenyans. I do not know if you have noted that I am clearly traditionally marked. I have tribal marks that say I am a Turkana, and if there is any doubt, then I am a Maasai, because this is the way our people did things before now. It is, therefore, so appalling when I walk in Nairobi nowadays and the people describe me as a South Sudanese, yet I have been in Nairobi for so many years and I was always a Maasai. Therefore, this suspicion where clearly a native Kenyan is thought to be from another country should get out. In any case, what is the fear? Why would we not allow people, like the South Sudanese or the Ugandans who would like to become Kenyans, to become Kenyans? What are we afraid of? The country is big enough to host all of us. Mr. Speaker, Sir, think of a country like the United States of America (USA). We go to the USA, we ask for citizenship and they grant it. Why is it that we cannot grant others identity cards? I have the case of Somali people who live in Turkana. Somali people like Turkana because they are also pastoralists, and they are used to that kind of life. However, those people are having the roughest time when they want identity cards and passports. The moment you see somebody with wavy hair, you say, “Ooh, this one is from Hargeisa.” However, that is a Kenyan whose grandfather was born in Kenya. What is that person supposed to do to prove to the authorities that he is actually a Kenyan? Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is also point that Sen. Wetangula raised, that people have to show some identification, which includes their parents, grandparents and great The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}