Nairobi — A coalition of five civil society organizations and human rights groups has called on the review of the Registration of Persons Act to permanently outlaw the controversial vetting process in national ID issuance.
The coalition warned that millions of Kenyans remain excluded from citizenship documentation despite reforms introduced last year.
In a joint statement marking one year since a presidential decree abolished ID vetting, the groups acknowledged progress in speeding up processing and removing bureaucratic barriers but argued that the legal framework still allows future governments to quietly reintroduce discriminatory practices.
The coalition -- Nubian Rights Forum, Namati Kenya, Haki Centre, Pastoralists Rights and Advocacy Network (ParaNET), and Haki na Sheria Initiative -- is demanding the deletion of Section 8(1a) and Section 16(ba) of the Registration of Persons Act to formally anchor the decree in law.
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"Abolishing vetting was an important first step in restoring constitutionally guaranteed citizenship rights, but it did not remedy the historical legacy of exclusion," the organizations said.
"Many Kenyan citizens are still carrying 'waiting cards' that have expired, or worse, have no documents at all because they were turned away for years."
Systemic barriers
The groups acknowledged what they termed "monumental and necessary" steps by the government over the past year, including disbanding vetting committees, rolling out new ID registration guidelines, and waiving fees for first-time applicants. These changes have benefited many new applicants.
However, they argue that those historically denied IDs -- often on the basis of ethnicity, religion, or place of residence -- still face systemic barriers. Entire families remain undocumented because parents previously denied IDs could not secure birth certificates for their children, creating what activists describe as an intergenerational documentation crisis.
They cited the case of Adan Ibrahim, 47, from Bula Elbe in Wajir County, who reportedly lost his waiting card in 1997 and has been unable to obtain a replacement ID despite multiple attempts.
"Without affirmative action measures, these citizens remain trapped in limbo, passing undocumented status to younger generations," the statement said.
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The groups also reported inconsistencies in the application of the guidlines alleging that some registration officers continue subjecting applicants to extra scrutiny resembling the old vetting process.
"This effectively keeps vetting alive in practice, even if it has ended in policy," they said.
The coalition urged the government to adopt a broader inclusion strategy, including establishing independent grievance and appeal mechanisms for delayed or rejected applications and implementing affirmative action measures for historically excluded and undocumented citizens.
