- Hundreds of Makonde youth in Kwale County remain unable to access higher education and employment opportunities because they lack citizenship documents.
- Community leaders are calling for a fresh registration exercise, saying many young people were left out when the Makonde were recognised as Kenyan citizens in 2016.
- The missing documents continue to deny many youths access to education, careers and essential government services.
Hundreds of Makonde youth in Kwale County still cannot access higher education and career opportunities due to a lack of identity documents, nearly a decade after the community was officially recognised as Kenyan citizens.
According to the Kenyan Makonde Community, about 3,000 members, mostly young adults who were minors during the 2016 registration exercise, still lack proof of citizenship, which is crucial for processing national identity cards.
Kenyan Makonde Community Chairperson Thomas Nguli urged the government to conduct another registration exercise, saying many eligible youth were left out despite their parents being recognised as Kenyan citizens.
Kenyan Makonde Community Chairperson Thomas Nguli during an interview at Makongeni in Kwale County in August 2026, where he called for a fresh citizenship registration exercise for Makonde youth.”We urge the government to give our youth the same chance as their parents. They are Kenyans and deserve equal rights,” said Nguli.
He said the continued lack of citizenship documents has left many young Makonde unable to pursue higher education, access government services and build careers despite the community’s official recognition.
Dreams put on hold
Among those affected is Abdallah Fundi from Makongeni in Kwale County, whose dream of becoming a professional footballer has stalled because he cannot obtain a national identity card required for player registration and other official processes.
Moreover, Fundi has been unable to pursue higher education because he lacks a national identity card and other essential documents.
Fundi said he has repeatedly been turned away while applying for an identity card despite both his parents possessing valid Kenyan identity cards.
“Both of my parents have national identity cards, but I have been told to produce a Certificate of Citizenship before I can be issued with an ID. I don’t have such a certificate, and I don’t know how to get one,” he said.
Anna Zacharia, 27, said she has also failed several times to obtain a national identity card because she lacks a Certificate of Citizenship.
“I have gone for ID registration several times, but I am always turned away because I don’t have a Certificate of Citizenship,” she said.
Calls for fresh registration
Zacharia said the lack of an identity card has denied her the opportunity to pursue further education, as most colleges and universities require the document during admission and registration.
She said she had hoped to enrol in a vocational training institution to acquire skills and improve her chances of securing employment, but her plans remain on hold because she cannot obtain the required identification documents.
According to Zacharia, many Makonde youth are trapped in a similar situation, with their education and career aspirations stalled despite being born and raised in Kenya.
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She said many young people lose hope about their future, leaving them vulnerable to teenage pregnancies, early marriages and drug abuse.
By Shaban Omar
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