By Abdimalik Hajir

GARISSA- A human rights group in Garissa has raised concerns about the numerous challenges communities face in obtaining essential identity documents, including birth certificates and national identification cards.

Speaking in Abdisamit during issuance of birth certificates, the Haki Na Sheria Initiative’s Program Manager Khasida Abdullahi said recently added charges for obtaining birth certificates and distance to access offices remained major challenges.

She said most communities in areas where there is no civil registration are forced to travel and even spend days, a matter she noted that many school going children do not have these essential documents.

“Majority of these communities also cannot afford these charges that were recently reviewed upwards and there is a need for the government to reduce these charges so that it is affordable by every Kenyan,” she told journalists.

The Human right group had two weeks ago partnered with civil registration office in Garissa to conduct mobile birth drive in Abdisamit and Lago location.

Khasida appealed to the government to ensure proper infrastructure is put in place to ease access to citizenship documentation.

“We are asking the government to increase registration centers and also human resources to ensure that every Kenyan gets these important documents easily,” she added.

A human rights group in Garissa Haki na Sheria has raised concerns about the numerous challenges communities face in obtaining essential identity documents, including birth certificates and national identification cards.

The Human right group had two weeks ago partnered with… pic.twitter.com/65qfeyEYMr

— Frontier Online (@FrontierOnlineK) December 23, 2024

The organization that has challenged the roll out of Maisha Namba in court, have through community paralegal, been sensitizing communities in Garissa, Tana River and Lamu on the importance of citizenship documentations.

Locals, while appreciating the organization for organizing the birth certificate drive, lamented how it’s nearly impossible to apply for a birth certificate for their children.

Dertu member of the county assembly Adhan Hassan Odhowa said majority of school going children in his area are not in school simply because they lack birth certificate, this he noted is because of lack of infrastructure to enable parents register their children at birth.

“The poor enrolment of schools in my ward in most cases is due to lack of birth certificate, a matter we are asking the government to solve some of these issues,” he noted.

The MCA also raised concern of lack of frequent ID car registration adding that the majority of youths who are supposed to get identity cards cannot access because of seasonal ID registration.

“it has been a nightmare to get a birth certificate, most people give up because of the process and time brokers take advantage of the community and end up paying thrice the charges,” said Muse Ahmed. a resident of Abdisamit location.

He also said that the majority of people cannot raise the charges recently increased asking the government to reduce.