National Assembly speaker Moses Wetang’ula has appealed to Kenyans living in Australia to remain detribalised despite the political upheavals back in the country.

Speaking in Sydney during his tour of the country, Wetang’ula assured Kenyans in Australia that the country was experiencing relative calm, especially coming from anti-tax protests which rocked the nation in the months of June and July 2024.

“When you are out here it does not help you to think tribe, you are here as Kenyans, living together happily as one. I salute you for this kind of cohesion and for being out here and thinking about home,” Wetang’ula said.

He acknowledged the challenges that the Kenyans in Australia faced, promising that he would follow up with the Department of Immigration and Citizen Services to fast-track the renewal of passports.

Citizenship

Equally, Wetang’ula indicated that Kenyans who had previously lost their citizenship by acquiring citizenship in other countries should be allowed to regain it through application.

He lamented that various talented Kenyans were in Australia but could not represent their country in sports activities and events like the Olympics due to the restrictions of acquiring citizenship.

Wetang’ula urged the Interior Ministry and particularly the immigration department to simplify the process of Kenyans re-applying for their citizenship with a directive to the Clerk of the National Assembly to contact all embassies to emerging issues are brought to light.

“While delays in the printing of passports remained a constant concern by Kenyans not just in the diaspora but also within the borders, measures have already been taken to reduce the period within which the document is printed,” Wetangula noted.

Adding: “Our new Constitution says if you lost your citizenship by becoming a citizen of another country, you simply become a citizen of Kenya on the application there are no other qualifications. I don’t see why if we have talented Kenyans in the other sporting activities like swimming here; why they can’t come and compete for our country in the Commonwealth, Olympics among others.”

Femicide cases

Kenyans in Australia urged Wetang’ula to consider pushing legislation which criminalises gender-based violence in the wake of a surge in the cases of femicide in the country.

Additionally, Wetang’ula committed to following up with the Australian embassy about the possibility of removing English language tests for Kenyans seeking to live and work in the country.

“In the last three months, I had a meeting with the Australian High Commissioner to Kenya and one of the issues I placed before him included why Kenya a commonwealth country and former colony of the UK like Australia whose official language is English should have its citizens subjected to English tests when they come here,” Wetang’ula noted.