Junet Mohamed, the Minority Leader in the National Assembly, has rejected allegations that President William Ruto’s recent choice to eliminate mandatory vetting for identification card applicants in the North Eastern region is a tactic to gain votes.
After a report from Nation Media Group (NMG) hinted that the Head of State’s choice might be part of his tactics to draw in more votes before the upcoming general elections, Junet was incited to provide commentary on Thursday evening.
The media outlet, citing expert opinions on ending compulsory vetting, pointed out that Ruto’s announcement might be more detrimental to the country than beneficial.
NMG specifically underscored the remarks of Security Expert George Musamali, who claimed that eliminating mandatory vetting represented a significant security threat to the nation.
Musamali asserts that eliminating the vetting process for obtaining ID cards in Northern counties will facilitate criminals’ access to identifiers, thereby allowing them to operate legally within Kenya.
“The abolition represents a grave security threat to the nation, particularly due to Al Shabaab and their supporters. The security expert stated, “We will be grappling with a population that isn’t Kenyan.”
NMG’s broadcast also mentioned Political Analyst Fanya Mambo Kinuthia, who asserted that Ruto’s decision was part of a scheme to collect more votes from the region in 2027.
The political analyst, in a conversation with NMG journalists, also claimed that this action would enable individuals from bordering countries to register as voters before the 2027 elections.
What are you inflicting on your children? Individuals who aren’t even Kenyans will surpass them. The analyst claimed, “Our only concern is to increase votes for 2027, as we have lost favor with Kenyans.”
In the meantime, while taking NMG to task over the news report, Junet said that it was a constitutional right of the North Eastern populace to obtain their IDs.
“It is very regrettable that NMG has been brought down to this level, particularly when people are grieving the loss of His Highness the Aga Khan IV.” “The constitutional rights of the Banyamulenge in Kenya must be granted,” commented Junet.
A day after the Head of State signed a Presidential Proclamation to officially eliminate identification card vetting for residents of the Northeastern region, the controversy arose.
Ruto stated that this initiative will facilitate the process of obtaining national identification documents for residents of Northern Kenya.
