1,300 IDs torched in Oljoroorok during last week’s Gen Z protests
Kipsang said essential services, including healthcare, education, banking, and employment, will be disrupted as residents rely on IDs to access them
At least 1,300 national identity cards awaiting collection in Nyandarua County were destroyed by an inferno during last week’s protests to mark the first anniversary of the youths killed last year during anti-government protests.
This was revealed by Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang, who said the violent protesters set ablaze the National Registration Bureau premises.
The PS said essential services, including healthcare, education, banking, and employment, will be disrupted as residents rely on IDs to access them.
“The inferno at the bureau destroyed over 1,000 IDs. This will disrupt service delivery in the region as residents rely on national identity cards to access essential services. It is a direct assault on the national identity system,” Kipsang said.
The PS revealed that equipment worth over Sh1 million was destroyed by the fire, including biometric kits and devices used to enroll new ID applicants.
This came a few weeks after 900 IDs were stolen last month from the Nyandarua West registration bureau in Oljoroorok.
Nyandarua Deputy County Commander Josephine Kihara said the May incident happened when unknown individuals broke into the registration office and stole the IDs before the rightful owners could collect them.
She said investigations are on to arrest the thieves.
Kipsang was touring Nyandarua to assess the extent of the damage caused by the inferno before repairs and new installations are done.
The PS called for an expedited investigation into the matter to establish whether the 1300 IDs were stolen before the building was set on fire, or whether they were burned inside the building.
The Nyandarua offices are part of those burnt during the protests, which turned violent after the infiltration of goons.
The Kikuyu and the Dagoretti Law Courts, together with the Kikuyu Sub-County offices, are amongst those that were torched down together with several police stations.
