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  • Organisation

    The Nubian Rights Forum is a human rights organisation that started in 1997 as a human rights movement that advocates for the rights of the Nubian ethnic minority in Kenya. The organisation is located in Kibera, Nairobi but operates country-wide through its networks of paralegals in the Nubian settlements.

    The Nubian Rights Forum has reported major landmarks in its growth. These include firstly the institutionalisation of the planning process. Secondly there has been a shift in orientation from civic education to paralegal work, assisting the community in applying for citizenship documents like birth certificates, National Identification cards and passports. Thirdly it has a radio show which is used for civic education and empowerment and its main focus is on public interest and litigation.

    • Organisation

      The Nubian Rights Forum is a human rights organisation that started in 1997 as a human rights movement that advocates for the rights of the Nubian ethnic minority in Kenya. The organisation is located in Kibera, Nairobi but operates country-wide through its networks of paralegals in the Nubian settlements.

      The Nubian Rights Forum has reported major landmarks in its growth. These include firstly the institutionalisation of the planning process. Secondly there has been a shift in orientation from civic education to paralegal work, assisting the community in applying for citizenship documents like birth certificates, National Identification cards and passports. Thirdly it has a radio show which is used for civic education and empowerment and its main focus is on public interest and litigation.

    • Project

      As Kenya moves rapidly towards a new digital identity and population register, the rights of all Kenyans are at stake. The register threatens to restrict access to services, to increase data protection risks and to exclude communities facing discrimination in access to documentation, At least 5 million Kenyan citizens (11% of the country) are citizens in law, but face discriminatory treatment when trying to acquire legal identity documents.
      Certain ethnic and religious groups such as the Nubians in Kibera, Somalis in Northeastern Province and the Swahili, Arabs, and Kenyans of Asian descent at the coast in Kenya (the majority of whom are Muslims) are subjected to an arbitrary vetting process and other difficulties when applying for identity cards, birth certificates, and passports.
      Based only on an applicant’s ethnicity or religion, she or he may be restricted in applying for legal paperwork on certain days of the week or on a seasonal basis, asked for burdensome supporting documents (even grandparents’ birth certificates), or required to go through additional scrutiny by security agents that cause delays of months or years.
      These are among the challenges minority groups face that lead them to be at risk of becoming stateless. At the same time, Kenyan is home to several stateless communities–who lack any nationality –such as the Pemba, Shona, and Wanyarundi. Many are without documentation completely and left vulnerable, unable to exercise their rights, access services, or be included in Kenya’s transition to a digital identification system.
      In late 2018, the Government of Kenya used a Miscellaneous Amendments, Bill, to establish the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS, popularly known as Huduma Namba), intended to create and operate a national population register as a single source of information about Kenyan citizens and residents.
      As the stakes of not having a Huduma Namba rise communities at risk for further exclusion. The project is seeking to ensure minority communities engage in the political process to ensure the transition to digital identity is an opportunity to right past wrongs rather than entrench discriminatory and unequal treatment.
  • Project
    As Kenya moves rapidly towards a new digital identity and population register, the rights of all Kenyans are at stake. The register threatens to restrict access to services, to increase data protection risks and to exclude communities facing discrimination in access to documentation, At least 5 million Kenyan citizens (11% of the country) are citizens in law, but face discriminatory treatment when trying to acquire legal identity documents.
    Certain ethnic and religious groups such as the Nubians in Kibera, Somalis in Northeastern Province and the Swahili, Arabs, and Kenyans of Asian descent at the coast in Kenya (the majority of whom are Muslims) are subjected to an arbitrary vetting process and other difficulties when applying for identity cards, birth certificates, and passports.
    Based only on an applicant’s ethnicity or religion, she or he may be restricted in applying for legal paperwork on certain days of the week or on a seasonal basis, asked for burdensome supporting documents (even grandparents’ birth certificates), or required to go through additional scrutiny by security agents that cause delays of months or years.
    These are among the challenges minority groups face that lead them to be at risk of becoming stateless. At the same time, Kenyan is home to several stateless communities–who lack any nationality –such as the Pemba, Shona, and Wanyarundi. Many are without documentation completely and left vulnerable, unable to exercise their rights, access services, or be included in Kenya’s transition to a digital identification system.
    In late 2018, the Government of Kenya used a Miscellaneous Amendments, Bill, to establish the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS, popularly known as Huduma Namba), intended to create and operate a national population register as a single source of information about Kenyan citizens and residents.
    As the stakes of not having a Huduma Namba rise communities at risk for further exclusion. The project is seeking to ensure minority communities engage in the political process to ensure the transition to digital identity is an opportunity to right past wrongs rather than entrench discriminatory and unequal treatment.
  • Results

    The ten month Sudden Opportunity grant by Nubian Rights Forum (NRF) titled Challenging Marginalisation in Digitisation seeked to ensure minority communities engage in political processes to ensure the transition to digital identity as an opportunity to right past wrongs rather than entrench discriminatory and unequal treatment. 

    Kenya’s Huduma Namba, meaning service number in Swahili, is a biometric digital identity program. It is intended to be the ‘single source of truth’ about a person’s identity. Given the magnitude of changes proposed, the Huduma Namba bill requires massive citizen participation which is currently lacking. The  NRF project  proposed to  move  the discussion  to  the  national  level  on  an urgent  basis  as  the  bill to be  passed  with  little  knowledge  or  involvement  from the public would prevent the Nubian community from accessing services. The  Nubian  Rights  Forum  together  with  the  coalition  (Haki  Centre,  Haki  na Sheria,  Paranet,  and  Namati) saw tremendous  changes  since  the  beginning  of the project. Many of these changes and achievement were possible through the work of paralegals and the management who made sure that the community and the  nation  continues  to  get  empowered  and  involved  on  matters  Huduma Namba.  

    One of the most significant impacts was community-led advocacy.  Building upwards  from  community  forums,  radio/media,  and  community  skills  training, NRF  saw members  of the target  communities  plan  and  implement  their  own advocacy  actions  related  to  Huduma  Namba  and  identification.  These  actions have  targeted  local,  regional,  and  national  policy  makers  from  registrars  to Members of Parliament, demanding change towards equality in the system.  For example, on the coast, Haki Centre supported the Pemba community to engage with  their  Women  Representative  on  issues  related  to  inclusion  in  Huduma Namba. 

    Documenting our stories  

    Together with Namati, the team published an op-ed in The Standard titled “Issuance of Huduma Cards is Illegal.” There have also been multiple media outputs produced by participating journalists in print, video, and radio formats. These include an article in Talk Africa, a video on Tuko, a radio segment on Milele FM, a feature on K24 TV, and an article in People Daily.  This article also showcases some learnings and innovativeness the project injected in the daily operational activities to ensure maximum reach to rightsholders the team worked with.  

    What next? 

    The Nubian Rights Forum expect the effects of the new knowledge, skills, and confidence will continue through community-led advocacy in 2021 on these issues –and even extend to the communities’ ability to address other concerns through these same methods. 

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