Citizenship for sale: The ID scandal

When President William Ruto announced the scrapping of the 60-year-old vetting requirement for issuing national identity cards in Northern Kenya, many in the region breathed a sigh of relief.

For generations, residents of the northeastern counties of Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Isiolo, and Marsabit had faced obstacles not only accessing basic government services but also in asserting their identity as Kenyans.

.fade-out-overlay {
position: absolute;
top: -80px;
left: 0;
width: 100%;
height: 60px;
z-index: 1;
background: linear-gradient(to bottom, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0), rgba(255, 255, 255, 1));
}

.paywall-container {
position: relative;
max-width: 100%;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 25px;
border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;
border-radius: 8px;
box-shadow: 0 2px 10px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
background-color: #ffffff;
}

.paywall-header {
font-size: 24px;
font-weight: bold;
margin-bottom: 15px;
color: #333333;
text-align: center;
}

.price-highlight {
font-size: 20px;
font-weight: bold;
color: #d40511;
margin: 15px 0;
text-align: center;
}

.subscribe-button-green {
width: 70%;
padding: 12px;
background-color: #EE193A !important;
color: white;
border: none;
border-radius: 4px;
font-size: 23px;
font-weight: bold;
cursor: pointer;
margin-bottom: 20px;
transition: background-color 0.3s;
text-decoration: none;
text-align: center;
}

.subscribe-button-green:hover {
background-color: #b0030e;
}

.features-list {
margin: 20px 0;
padding-left: 20px;
list-style: none;
}

.features-list li {
margin-bottom: 10px;
position: relative;
padding-left: 25px;
}

.features-list li:before {
content: “✓”;
color: #d40511;
position: absolute;
left: 0;
font-weight: bold;
}

.countdown {
display: flex;
gap: 15px;
justify-content: center;
margin: 20px auto;
text-align: center;
}

.countdown div {
background: #f5f5f5;
padding: 10px;
border-radius: 6px;
min-width: 60px;
}

.countdown .num {
font-size: 22px;
font-weight: bold;
color: #d40511;
}

.countdown .label {
font-size: 12px;
color: #555;
}

@media (max-width: 768px) {
.subscribe-button-green {
width: 100% !important;
box-sizing: border-box;
}
}

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`;
} else {
teaserEl.innerHTML = “”;
}

activeEl.innerHTML = “”;
paywallEl.style.display = “block”;

} else if (now >= saleStart && now <= saleEnd) {
paywallEl.style.display = “none”;

var diffToEnd = saleEnd – now;
var totalSeconds = Math.floor(diffToEnd / 1000);
var days = Math.floor(totalSeconds / (24 * 3600));
var hours = Math.floor((totalSeconds % (24 * 3600)) / 3600);
var minutes = Math.floor((totalSeconds % 3600) / 60);
var seconds = totalSeconds % 60;

activeEl.innerHTML = `

Offer ends in…

${days}Days
${String(hours).padStart(2,’0′)}Hours
${String(minutes).padStart(2,’0′)}Minutes
${String(seconds).padStart(2,’0′)}Seconds

Subscribe Now & Save

`;
} else {
teaserEl.innerHTML = “”;
activeEl.innerHTML = “”;
paywallEl.style.display = “block”;
}
}

function formatTime(ms) {
let totalSeconds = Math.floor(ms / 1000);
const days = Math.floor(totalSeconds / (3600 * 24));
totalSeconds %= 3600 * 24;
const hours = Math.floor(totalSeconds / 3600);
totalSeconds %= 3600;
const minutes = Math.floor(totalSeconds / 60);
const seconds = totalSeconds % 60;
return `${days}d ${hours}h ${minutes}m ${seconds}s`;
}

updateFlashSale();
setInterval(updateFlashSale, 1000);

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When President William Ruto announced the scrapping of the 60-year-old vetting requirement for issuing national identity cards in Northern Kenya, many in the region breathed a sigh of relief.

Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp