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The recent decision by President William Ruto to scrap the vetting process for individuals seeking Kenyan identification cards in northern Kenya has sparked sharp criticism, with concerns being raised over national security.
Human rights activist Dr. Isaac Newton Kinity has warned that the move could expose Kenya to serious security threats, including the infiltration of terrorists.
In a statement to the press on Friday, February 14, 2025, Kinity linked the decision to past security failures, citing the August 7, 1998, bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, which left over 200 people dead.”
The Kenyan born – US based seasoned human rights advocate said that reports at the time suggested that the attackers had entered Kenya through Somalia, raising fears that the removal of vetting requirements could once again open the country to similar risks.
President Ruto on February 5, 2025 announced the scrapping of a 60-year-old ID vetting process that had long been applied to ethnic Somalis in northern Kenya.
While the move was welcomed by some as a step toward ending historical discrimination, critics argue that it could weaken border security.
Dr. Kinity has strongly condemned the decision, warning that it could make Kenya a target for terrorism, not just endangering Kenyan citizens but also foreign nationals, including Americans.
Dr. Kinity further alleged that the policy shift could be a strategic move aimed at leveraging insecurity to pressure the United States into restoring aid to Kenya. He cautioned that if President Ruto’s intention was to use national security as a bargaining chip, the strategy would ultimately backfire.
“If his aim is to punish the USA for stopping aid to Kenya, he is totally misguided,” Dr. Kinity stated, urging the government to reinstate the vetting process immediately and unconditionally.
The Kenyan government has defended the move, arguing that it was necessary to address long-standing grievances of marginalized communities in the north.
Security experts however, remain divided on the potential consequences. Some believe that alternative security measures should be put in place to prevent terrorists from exploiting the relaxed regulations.
The debate over the ID vetting process continues to escalate as concerns mount over the possible security implications of an open border policy with Somalia. With Kenya having suffered multiple terrorist attacks in the past, calls for a careful reassessment of the decision are growing louder.
Kenya has experienced multiple terrorist attacks linked to militants crossing from Somalia. In 2013, Al-Shabaab gunmen stormed the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, killing at least 67 people and over 200 injured.
A year later, in June 2014, armed militants carried out the Mpeketoni attacks in Lamu County, killing 60 people. In November 2014, Al-Shabaab militants ambushed a bus near Mandera, executing 28 non-Muslims.
The following year, in April 2015, terrorists stormed Garissa University and killed 148 people, mostly students. In January 2019, another attack at the DusitD2 complex in Nairobi left 21 people dead.
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