(Mombasa) – Kenya continues efforts to fully integrate the Pemba community as citizens, addressing registration challenges a year after granting them citizenship.
Members of Kenya’s Pemba community, originally from Zanzibar, are still grappling with difficulties in accessing citizenship rights despite being officially recognized as Kenyan citizens in 2023. The move, announced by President William Ruto, granted citizenship to 7,000 individuals of Pemba descent who had lived in Kenya for over a century without legal identification.
The recognition enabled the Pemba community to access critical documents such as national ID cards and birth certificates, facilitating social services like education, healthcare, and banking. However, challenges persist for those who had previously altered their names to navigate legal hurdles.
Dida Hamadi Makame, a member of the Pemba community, explained that reverting to his original name has been impossible after changing it to Dida Hamisi Idi in 1986. Similarly, Abdul Mohamed Mbarari shared that despite receiving an ID card during a 2023 ceremony led by President Ruto in Kilifi, some documents remain unusable.
Omar Kombo, Deputy Secretary of the Pemba community in Kenya, emphasized that although the government has shown commitment, some community members are still not recognized as citizens. He warned that this incomplete recognition could leave parts of the community without citizenship rights.
Last Friday, during a ceremony marking one year since the Pemba were granted citizenship, Kilifi North MP Owen Baya urged the government to deploy officials to coastal areas where Pemba people reside to expedite the registration process. He stressed the importance of resolving the issue by 2025 to ensure no Pemba person is denied access to essential services, including banking and social health insurance.
Kenya’s Secretary of Immigration and Citizen Services, Julius Bitok, reassured the community that the government remains committed to ensuring they receive equal rights and services as Kenyan citizens.
| Pemba Community Citizenship Process | Details |
|---|---|
| Year Citizenship Granted | 2023 |
| Number of People Recognized | 7,000 |
| Registration Challenges | Name reversals, incomplete documentation |
| Government Initiative | National IDs, birth certificates, passports |
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) praised Kenya’s decision to grant citizenship to the Pemba community, describing it as a significant step toward eliminating statelessness. UNHCR’s Filippo Grandi lauded Kenya for its leadership in addressing longstanding challenges faced by stateless individuals.
In December 2022, President Ruto announced his administration’s intention to formally recognize the Pemba people as Kenyan citizens. This decision aligned with Kenya’s commitment to ending statelessness, following its accession to two key United Nations conventions in October 2019.