Tribes and Identity Cards in Kenya

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the role of ethnic identity and identification documents during periods of violence in Kenya, specifically following disputed elections. It discusses how naming conventions and physical characteristics are used to target individuals despite identity cards not explicitly listing ethnicity, and suggests systemic reforms to national identification and governance to reduce ethnic cleavages.

• Although Kenyan identity cards and passports do not explicitly state a person's tribe, perpetrators of violence use common cultural naming conventions to identify and target individuals by ethnicity. For example, Luos often name children after significant events, while Kikuyus may name sons after their mothers.
• Ethnic identification is complicated by names that span multiple groups, inter-ethnic marriages, and historical instances where parents adopted Kalenjin names during the rule of Daniel Arap Moi (1978-2002) to better access state resources.
• Ethnic tensions have disrupted public services, leading to mistrust within the medical fraternity and the flight of medical staff, teachers, and students from 'hot spots' or regions where their ethnic group is not traditionally located.
• The author proposes that Kenya adopt a more neutral identification system, such as a social security number assigned at birth, similar to how Rwanda removed ethnic identity from national cards, to minimize regional and ethnic divisions.
• Long-term stability in Kenya requires the aggressive addressing of ethnic stereotypes, the devolution of political and economic power, and the elimination of presidentialism, political patronage, and neo-patrimonial politics.

APA

Chikwanha, A. B. (2008). Tribes and Identity Cards in Kenya. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/topics/corruption-and-governance/29-jan-2008-iss-today-tribes-and-identity-cards-in-kenya

Chicago

Chikwanha, Annie Barbara. Tribes and Identity Cards in Kenya. Institute for Security Studies, 2008. https://issafrica.org/topics/corruption-and-governance/29-jan-2008-iss-today-tribes-and-identity-cards-in-kenya.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chikwanha |first1=Annie Barbara |title=Tribes and Identity Cards in Kenya |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=29 January 2008 |url=https://issafrica.org/topics/corruption-and-governance/29-jan-2008-iss-today-tribes-and-identity-cards-in-kenya |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chikwanha2008tribes, author = {Chikwanha, Annie Barbara}, title = {{Tribes and Identity Cards in Kenya}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2008}, month = jan, url = {https://issafrica.org/topics/corruption-and-governance/29-jan-2008-iss-today-tribes-and-identity-cards-in-kenya}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }