Gachagua Threatens Action Against Govt Over Alleged ID Discrimination

Gachagua Threatens Action Against Govt Over Alleged ID Discrimination

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has threatened to mobilise young people across the country to stage protests over alleged discrimination in the issuance of national identification documents, escalating political tensions over access to critical government services.

Speaking during a church service in Gatundu North, Gachagua accused the government of deliberately slowing or denying ID issuance in regions perceived to be politically unsupportive of President William Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza administration.

“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, without presenting specific data to substantiate the allegations.

He warned that the opposition would convene a consultative meeting on Monday, April 6, to assess the situation and determine a course of action, including the possibility of nationwide 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,” he said. “We will cry to the Gen Zs because we know they are the President’s weakness.”

The remarks come at a time when concerns have been raised about the accessibility and collection of key identification documents. According to Huduma Kenya, thousands of uncollected documents remain at service centres across the country, pointing to a potential administrative backlog rather than deliberate exclusion.

The agency reported that at least 152,398 national identity cards, 85,550 smart driving licences, and 28,550 birth certificates are yet to be collected. Officials have previously urged applicants to pick up their processed documents, noting that delays in collection can disrupt service delivery and planning.

The issue of ID availability carries broader electoral implications, particularly as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission continues its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which began on March 30. The commission is targeting 2.5 million new voters, a goal that could be affected if eligible citizens are unable to obtain identification documents required for registration.

Without a valid national ID, Kenyans cannot register as voters, raising concerns among political actors about potential disenfranchisement. Gachagua, who has emerged as a vocal critic of the current administration, linked the alleged delays to broader electoral integrity concerns.

He also criticised the electoral body over recent communication regarding voter records, which initially suggested that some individuals registered before 2012 might need to re-register. The statement triggered confusion and public anxiety about the validity of older voter registrations.

The IEBC later clarified that only individuals who did not undergo biometric registration during the 2012 mass voter registration exercise would be required to register afresh. It maintained that the current biometric voter register remains credible and secure.

“We are having a meeting as opposition, and once we understand what is going on within the IEBC, we will issue a statement,” Gachagua added.

Neither the government nor the Registrar of Persons had issued an immediate response to Gachagua’s claims by the time of publication. However, the developments highlight growing political scrutiny over public service delivery and electoral preparedness, with stakeholders calling for transparency and efficiency in the management of identification and voter registration processes.

As the debate intensifies, attention is likely to focus on whether administrative challenges or political considerations are influencing access to essential documents, a matter that remains central to both governance and democratic participation in the country.

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Gachagua Threatens Action Against Govt Over Alleged ID Discrimination