This archive report was first published on 29 September 2019.
Published on September 29, 2019, by IBRAHIM ORUKO, more by this author can be found here.
Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi has taken aim at the legal provisions that restrict state jobs for Kenyans holding dual citizenships, calling it a form of discrimination.
Speaking to Kenyans in the State of New Jersey, USA, on Saturday, Mr Mudavadi argued that all Kenyans are entitled to full enjoyment of civil rights regardless of their citizenship status.
“It is confounding that the law should ask you to drop one of your citizenships in order for you to play your role for your motherland,” the ANC leader said.
Mr Mudavadi's comments come as the nomination of Ms Mwende Mwinzi, a Kenyan with US citizenship, to serve as Kenya's envoy in South Korea has been met with constitutional hurdles.
Article 78 (1) of the Constitution declares that a person is not eligible to contest for an election in Kenya or appointment for a State job unless he is a citizen of Kenya.
Subsection (2) reinforces the fact that a state officer or a member of the Kenya Defence Forces shall not hold dual citizenship.
Mr Mudavadi wants the government to provide Kenyans in the diaspora with more motivation to participate in the life of the country, including encouraging investment at home and facilitating their participation in national development.
He also called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to put in place mechanisms that will ensure Kenyans in the diaspora vote in the 2022 General Election.
“Technology should not be an issue any more. I don’t think that it is the hindrance, the challenge remains the kind of electoral authorities we have in Africa,” he said.
