MP Salasya vows to oppose Ruto’s ID vetting order
The legislator stated that residents of the said region must be vetted before being given National IDs as it is the only way locals can be distinguished from non-locals.
Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya has vowed to table a motion denouncing President William Ruto’s executive order scrapping the vetting process before acquiring National Identification Cards for residents in the North Eastern region of Kenya.
Salasya said he would rally youthful members of parliament to form opposition and do away with the order.
“I will put up a motion in parliament to denounce this policy by President Ruto. The parliament has the power to do away with this silly executive order. Am now going to form a very serious opposition in the parliament comprising of young parliamentarians,” Salasya stated.
The youthful MP vowed to expose his youthful colleagues who will not support the course lamenting that the ‘the president thinks he can do whatever he wants’
The legislator stated that residents of the said region must be vetted before being given National IDs as it is the only way locals can be distinguished from non-locals.
He said if the executive order by the president is followed, there shall be an influx of non-residents in the area exposing Kenyans to the Al Shabaab Militia.
Salasya blamed the advisors of President Ruto for the pronunciations made by the head of state.
“I don’t know who advises President Ruto! Scrapping off the vetting process of acquiring ID cards is mandatory in Northern Kenya that’s the only way you can distinguish locals and non-locals. Expect an influx of non-locals in our major cities and towns and that is how Al Shabaab will find its way to meddle in Kenya.
Salasya compared Kenya to the US president’s fight against immigrants laughing off that Kenya the order by Ruto would mean illegal immigrants influx the country.
He accused the president of wanting the illegal immigrants to vote for him.
“Trump is fighting to protect its citizens from illegal immigrants and in Kenya we are allowing them in and even want to bring all the Al Shabaab from Somalia land to vote for him. We don’t have a president we have a serious joker,” Salasya stated.
However, according to security expert Richard Tutah, there is never a security threat by residents of North Eastern having ID’s.
He says the system that is being used now is far better than what it was in the 1960’s
“We do not want a situation where we profile others. There is never insecurity when some group of people become Kenyans. The factors that led to the vetting process no longer exist and I am sure the system is now better.
“By the scrap off it does not mean IDs will just be dispensed off as there is always a proper channel of even other tribes getting their IDs. The president is well-guided and there is no compromise of National security,” he added.
Tuta adds that it is always normal for fear to come in when a system is changed.
He adds that the vetting process has been making the residents feel lesser Kenyans and it will now be better.
While in Wajir yesterday President William Ruto signed a proclamation scrapping the 60-year-old ID vetting requirement.
The head of state accused his predecessors of not scrapping the vetting as he chest thumbed himself over it.
This is a new strategy by Ruto as he plans to secure and strengthen the northeastern voting bloc and make inroads into the predominantly perceived base of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
A total of 882,000 voters from Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Isiolo, and Marsabit counties participated in the 2022 presidential election; however, the residents of these counties have complained that their numbers were underreported in the 2019 national census and the court recently ordered for a repeat of the census.
