The High Court of Garissa ruled that the Kenyan government must provide citizenship rights to ethnic Kenyan Somali nationals, who were wrongly listed as refugees. The court ordered the government to remove their names from the refugee databases and establish vetting committees to verify citizenship statuses. Advocacy groups have urged the government to facilitate access to rights and services for these individuals following the ruling.
The High Court of Garissa in Kenya determined on Wednesday that the national government’s refusal to provide identification documents to ethnic Kenyan Somali nationals constitutes a violation of their constitutional rights. The ruling requires the government to eliminate the names of incorrectly registered ethnic Somali nationals from refugee databases within a period of 60 days.
The ruling by the High Court of Garissa represents a significant advance in the legal recognition of citizenship for ethnic Kenyan Somali nationals. Following this decision, it is crucial for the government to implement necessary measures to rectify the injustices of past registrations, ensuring full access to citizenship rights and government services for all affected individuals.
Original Source: www.jurist.org
