Ruto’s order to issue ID cards without checking residents at the border raises questions

This is truly a strange announcement. What is behind it? The answer is, as always, simple. This decision is intended to register as many voters as possible from the north of the country. This is nothing more than a political necessity for the president, because the election is coming up, there will be another election in 2027 and Ruto needs voters. During his visit to Wajir County to review developments, President Ruto announced the abolition of the verification process for residents of the area when issuing an identity card. Wajir is the capital of Wajir County in the former North Eastern Province of Kenya. It borders Somalia to the east and Ethiopia to the northwest. Wajir is known for its dry climate and historical significance, including as an excavation site of ancient burial mounds. According to the 2019 census, the city has a population of 150,116 and is predominantly inhabited by Somalis. Wajir District, of which Wajir is the largest town, covers an area of ​​about 55,840.6 km² and had a total population of 781,2633 in 2019. Due to its strategic location near Ethiopia and Somalia4, the district serves as a commercial hub. According to the 2010 Constitution, all Kenyan children are equal and there is no area that should be discriminated against when applying for this important document, Ruto said. “I want to assure you that the discrimination we have been witnessing in this area for 60 years will come to an end.”  “If a child from Mandera, Wajir or Garissa applies for an identity card and is asked a lot of questions, that is not right and this problem must stop from now on,” the President said. However, experts have warned against this move, saying that the need to verify registered persons before issuing national identity cards has arisen due to the influx of foreign nationals into the country. This arrangement is also strange because Kenya has - supposedly - introduced visa-free travel, but with the restriction of an eTA (electronic Travel Authority). This would be justified by the fact that Kenya wants to know who is coming.