MP claims bias against border communities

The Government was yesterday accused of discriminating against Kenyans living along the borders before issuing them with national identity cards.

The MPs, especially from North Eastern Province, took Office of the President assistant minister Stephen Tarus to task over the issue.

They said the vetting and issuance exercise, which took less than a week in Nairobi, took over two years in NEP.

Dr Guracha Galgalo (Moyale, Kanu) cited the case of over 100 Sakuye clan members who returned from exile in Somalia saying their efforts to get IDs have hit a brick wall.

Responding to the question by Dr Galgalo, Mr Tarus confirmed that they were aware of the issue but blamed the delay on the vetting process.

Mr Tarus pleaded with the MP to bear with him so that the officers on the ground could finalise their work.

But the answer caused an uproar with Mr Ochola Ogur (Nyatike, Narc) and Mr Davies Nakitare (Saboti, Narc) rising on points of order to challenge the assistant minister.

The Nyatike MP accused the assistant minister of misleading members about the state of affairs in districts bordering the neighbouring countries.

Said Mr Ogur, whose constituency borders with Tanzania: "This problem of discrimination is widespread, even in my area a woman married to a Kenyan cannot be given an ID even after giving birth to five children."

In his reply, the assistant minister blamed the long delay in Moyale on the porous Kenya-Somalia border and assured the house that the case of the Sakuye clan members would be resolved soon.

Meanwhile, Roads assistant minister Joshua Toro, told Mr Kalembe Ndile (Kibwezi, Narc) that Sh330 million had been set aside in the current financial year for upgrading the Makindu-Wote.

The assistant minister said the work on that road would start in January 2005.