Hope for Stateless Residents as Bill Proposes Seven-year Path to Citizenship
A new Bill before Parliament seeks to dismantle long-standing legal barriers that have denied stateless persons the right to Kenyan citizenship, marking a significant step towards ending decades of exclusion and marginalisation.
The Kenya Citizenship and Immigration (Amendment) Bill, 2024 proposes to grant citizenship to stateless individuals who have lived in Kenya for at least seven years and meet basic integration requirements.
The Bill is sponsored by Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, who is seeking to amend the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act (Cap. 170) to clearly spell out the conditions under which stateless persons may be registered as Kenyan citizens.
Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security, Mr Baya said the proposed amendments are intended to eliminate legal uncertainty and restrictive provisions that have, for years, locked stateless persons out of essential services.
Specifically, the Bill seeks to amend Section 15 of the current law to deem stateless persons who have habitually resided in Kenya for a continuous period of at least seven years as lawfully resident, making them eligible, upon application, for registration as Kenyan citizens.
“This is an earnest appeal to fast-track the Bill so that these individuals can finally enjoy their rights,” Mr Baya told the committee.
