Imagine being born in Kenya, growing up here, speaking Kiswahili, and attending local schools, but still being told you are not Kenyan. That’s the lived reality for thousands of stateless people in this country.

Communities like the Shona, Pemba, Makonde, and segments of the Nubian population have spent decades locked out of opportunities the rest of us take for granted: IDs, jobs, education, and even healthcare. They belong here. But the law does not say so. Not yet.

That could change, if Parliament passes the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Brought forward by Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, this bill offers a practical, humane solution: give stateless persons who’ve lived here for at least seven years the right to apply for citizenship.

More importantly, it proposes automatic citizenship for children born in Kenya to stateless parents. It’s not a favour , it’s a long overdue correction.

Time to Fix It

Yes, Kenya has made strides. The Makonde got citizenship in 2016. The Shona followed in 2020. Then came the Pemba in 2022. But those were piecemeal wins, political gestures, not legal guarantees.

The current law still ties citizenship rights to a 1963 cutoff, effectively shutting out generations born after independence.

This bill changes that. It aligns with Article 15(2) of our Constitution, which clearly instructs Parliament to sort out statelessness through legislation.

And the timing could not be better with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission now unearthing massive fraud in the issuance of IDs and certificates, it’s clear the system needs fixing.

That fix must start with those who have a rightful, documented claim to this country but have been ignored.

No More Excuses

Now it’s up to Parliament. Lawmakers must look past the fear-driven narratives that always show up — claims about security or mass immigration. These arguments simply do not hold water.

The bill applies only to people who have lived here legally and peacefully, many for generations. We are not talking about outsiders, we are talking about Kenyans in every sense but paperwork.

This is not about politics. It’s about people. It’s about justice. It’s about finally recognising that citizenship isn’t some prize to be handed out, it’s a right to be honoured.

Parliament must rise to the moment. Because when we deny someone their identity, we deny them their dignity. And when we restore that identity, we don’t just give them papers we give them back a future.