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A stateless Shona girl could not hide her joy after she finally acquired Kenyan citizenship after 20-year wait.
20-year-old Nosizi Dube was granted Kenyan nationality after Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i’s intervention.
Her story was first highlighted early this month by renowned Kenyan economist Dr. David Ndii. Ndii in a tweet said the girl’s dream was to pursue a degree in Economics at the University of Nairobi but could not enroll due to lack of identification documents such as an ID or birth certificate.
Touched by her plight, Matiang’i helped Dube attain Kenyan citizenship to help her pursue her dream.
“Remember this! Well Nosizi and the Shona community have been granted the right to Kenyan nationality! Thank you @Fredmatiangi,” Ndii tweeted on Tuesday.
Dube said this was the best birthday gift she has ever received in her entire life.
“Thank you so much. That was the best birthday gift ever (27th July). I just received the amazing news yesterday (27th July 2020). I just turned 20 yesterday,” she tweeted.
The Shona people migrated to Kenya in the 1960s from Zimbabwe and have lived in the country for over 5 decades.
There are about 3,500 Shona people living in Kenya today but are stateless with no documentation, which has denied them the chance to get education, travel and do business.
To address the matter, the government last year announce it will begin documenting new-born Shona babies and also issue IDs to the elder people.
Comments
If born in Kenyan soil no need for extra bureaucracy...it’s shouldn’t be a big deal! Congratulations to her and her people.. all the best Dude
They passed all those other countries and settled in Kenya why ?Kenya is becoming UN of Africa let us deal with our own citizens first.
Yep as you sit your behind in a foreign land. Let them be.
Everyone born and grows up un interrupted within our borders should automatically become a citizen upon attaining 18yrs
We mistakenly called them Zambians.
She has always been Kenyan. I don't even think any special consideration. Whoever denied her the birth certificate should explain.
She isn't shona, Just because you come from Zimbabwe doesn't mean you are shona. Her name Nosizi is a ndebele from the zulu , mother of sympathy
Please africans. We must learn more about each other. Not to have non africans know more about us than we do of ourselves
Thanks R Moyo for the info. Your own name Moyo is reminiscent of Jonathan Moyo a politician from Zimbabwe. I notice this young woman wears a white head-kerchief which reminds me of a group of Rhodesian refugees who came to Kenya due to persecution of Jehovah Witnesses back home. Most of them live around Kawangware adjacent to an upmarket Nairobi suburb of Lavington. At the lower end of Lavington is another upmarket residential area called Hurlingham where the ex-Rhodesia Daystar College (now Daystar University) was initially located.
She is not shona. Her name means mother of sympathy a derivative of ndebele or Zulu. As Africans we have to learn more about our heritage and bloodlines. Not to have non africans know more about us.
Zimbabwe is made up of many tribes besides the Shona
All this bureaucracy is inherited from the British colonists! the shonas should sue the British government for their woes. Why do Indian automatically get Citizenship and not Africans ? Indians (coolies) were brought by the British to build the railway and decided India was too poor to go back to and today they find themselves very superior and treat their works like slaves but have no problem they are now 44th tribe of kenya
A good level headed observation! Indians treat black people exactly the way you have put it alI over the world!
The more lighter skin Indians discriminate on the darker skin Indians in India; and even in Kenya.
I have always wondered why Kenyans have not revolted over the treatment they receive from the “coolies”dependents (and the Indian new comers) living in Kenya.
The girl actually seems determined. Congrats and best wishes to her!