Beyond right of blood and the soil: Reflections on citizenship and immigration in Kenya

by admin on | 2025-12-04 07:46:30 Last Updated by admin on 2025-12-06 15:53:44

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Introduction

Who is a citizen? What is the significance of citizenship? This paper seeks to explore and interrogate the subject of citizenship in Kenya. This is because the subject of citizenship and immigration is not just an emerging international law thematic area but also a regional concept with East African Community Integration at play. Citizenship further presents a municipal law pit with regards to minority communities present in Kenya and the region. Cognizant of the role and the import of citizenship, this paper, breaks down the concept, philosophy and the laws on citizenship and immigration in Kenya. This is in light of the emerging concepts within the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. Relevant to this include; ways of acquiring citizenship in Kenya, ways of not acquiring citizenship in Kenya, the concept of dual citizenship and the documents of citizenship. This paper therefore attempts to educate, inquire, outlines as well as point out the gaps and intrigues in the laws of citizenship and immigration in Kenya. Keywords: Citizen, Citizenship, Community, Immigration, Identity