The Senate Standing Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration has held discussions on the possible recognition of the Wagazinja (Comorian) Community in Mombasa County.
The Committee, chaired by Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute, met with Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang to consider a Statement raised by Senator Mohamed Faki on the community’s legal status and recognition.
In his presentation, Dr Kipsang said the Government acknowledges the cultural, historical and economic contribution of the Wagazinja Community, whose ancestors are said to have migrated from Grande Comore and settled along the Kenyan Coast, particularly in Mombasa, from the 1870s, with major settlements recorded between 1910 and 1920.
He added that the State Department had provided a comprehensive framework outlining constitutional provisions, legal precedents and ongoing government efforts to address issues of ethnic recognition and historical citizenship regularisation.
Dr Kipsang further disclosed that the Ministry of Interior and National Administration plans to undertake community mapping and mobilisation, supported by a multi-agency committee to guide the determination of the community’s citizenship status.
“The Government is committed to resolving issues of statelessness affecting all communities, including the Wagazinja Community. The vetting process will proceed expeditiously once community leaders complete the formal petitioning process through Parliament and verification of pre-independence family records,” he said.
Following the session, senators noted that several communities have previously been recognised through parliamentary petitions and sought further details on the process, including the case of the Shona community. The Committee directed the State Department to submit a detailed report within one week.
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