Today, we witnessed deeply disappointing and misguided remarks from Minority Leader Hon. Junet Mohammed in response to a legitimate concern raised by Governor George Natembeya regarding the issuance of identification documents, particularly in border regions.
It is important to clarify that Governor Natembeya was not discriminating against any community. His concerns were purely centred on national security and the dangers of issuing IDs carelessly, especially in sensitive border areas that have historically been prone to security threats.
Hon. Junet, representing Suna East in Migori County, a relatively stable region, should recognise that his context is vastly different from counties like Trans Nzoia or Mandera, where the vetting process is critical to maintaining national security.
Governor Natembeya, a seasoned administrator with years of experience in high-risk areas such as Kamukunji, a melting pot of diverse communities including Kenyan Somalis, has consistently advocated for fair but thorough vetting procedures. His remarks were not an attack on the Somali community or any other ethnic group. They were a call to protect the integrity of our identification systems from being exploited by non-citizens or individuals with questionable intent.
To equate a call for proper scrutiny with discrimination is not only disingenuous but dangerously misinformed. Such rhetoric risks fanning the flames of division and misinformation at the expense of national unity.
Leaders must rise above political point-scoring and focus on the security and integrity of our nation. Governor Natembeya’s position reflects a commitment to safeguarding Kenya without targeting any group.