Gachagua claims bias in ID issuance, threatens Gen Z protests
By Kenneth Mwenda, April 5, 2026Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused the government of discriminating in the issuance of national identity cards and warned that the opposition could mobilise protests if the situation does not change.
Speaking during a church service in Gatundu North, on Sunday, April 5, 2026, Gachagua claimed some regions were being sidelined, particularly areas that do not support President William Ruto’s administration.
He said the opposition would meet on Monday, April 6, to discuss the matter and agree on a way forward.
“On the question of IDs, we have received reports that IDs are not being issued to areas which do not favour William Ruto,” Gachagua claimed.
He warned that failure to address the issue could trigger demonstrations led by young people.
“We want to tell the Registrar of Persons that we will have a meeting tomorrow. If you don’t stop discrimination and issue IDs to everybody, we shall request Gen Zs to occupy your offices across the country. We will cry to the Gen Zs because we know they are the President’s weakness,” he said.
His remarks come at a time when the government has been pushing reforms aimed at speeding up the processing of identity cards. Immigration Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang recently said new applicants can now receive IDs within days, and in some cases on the same day in Nairobi.
“Our cards are now delivered between three and seven days, and if you are in Nairobi, you can even get them the same day. The level of technology we have invested in has made the process very fast and efficient,” Kipsang said.
Uncollected IDs raise concerns
At the same time, government agencies have raised concern over thousands of uncollected documents lying in offices across the country. Huduma Kenya said at least 152,398 national IDs, 85,550 smart driving licences and 28,550 birth certificates have not been picked up.
The agency has urged applicants to collect their documents, warning that delays in collection affect access to essential services and create congestion at service centres.
The issue of ID access is also linked to voter registration. Without a national ID, one cannot register as a voter. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is currently carrying out a Continuous Voter Registration exercise targeting 2.5 million new voters.
Gachagua also criticised the electoral body over earlier confusion regarding voters registered before 2012. The IEBC had initially suggested that some of them might need to re-register, raising concerns about the credibility of the voter roll.
The commission later clarified that only those who did not undergo biometric registration in 2012 are required to register again.
“We are having a meeting as opposition, and once we understand what is going on within the IEBC, we will issue a statement,” Gachagua confirmed.
The row adds to growing political tension over ID issuance, with leaders from parts of the Mt Kenya region already claiming that delays could lock out young voters ahead of the 2027 General Election.